According to the minority in parliament, the recent fatal fire outbreak at Adum in Kumasi’s Central Business District in the Ashanti Region was caused by an unstable power supply, or Dumsor.
Concerns over emergency response and fire safety in the area were triggered by the fire, which destroyed numerous stores and properties and injured nine people.
In a Monday, March 24 floor communication, Subin Member of Parliament Kofi Obiri Yeboah called on international groups to support impacted traders and urged the government to immediately address the ongoing power problem.
“In my interaction with traders and eyewitnesses, it was revealed that this fire was allegedly triggered by dumsor. Power had been out, and the moment electricity was restored, it sparked and triggered the fire. Mr. Speaker, this is most unfortunate, considering how far we have come as a nation.” he urged.
His statement further highlighted the challenges faced by the Ghana National Fire Service (GNFS) in responding to the incident.
“Reports indicate that the Fire Service was handicapped in their attempt to salvage the situation due to non-existent fire hydrants at nearby stations and major logistical constraints. The congested nature of the market, coupled with the lack of modern firefighting infrastructure, worsened the situation, making it almost impossible for firefighters to contain the blaze,” he stated.
Majority Chief Whip Rockson-Nelson Dafeamekpor, however, emphasized the importance of conducting a comprehensive inquiry to ascertain the true origin of the fire and warned against drawing hasty judgments.
“The issue of what caused the fire should be properly investigated,” he stated, adding, “You can speculate on radio, but on this platform, we must rely on facts. If my members also come and claim the fire was deliberately set by someone, it could lead to unnecessary chaos. Our focus should be on providing relief to the affected traders.”
Although investigations are ongoing, authorities have not yet formally confirmed the cause of the incident.
In the meantime, traders and entrepreneurs in the impacted region are still tallying their losses and urging prompt government action to stop similar incidents in the future.