The Ghana Fire Service (GNFS) has disclosed that its personnel rescued more than 470 people and responded to dozens of emergency incidents over three days as torrential rains, fires and structural emergencies wreaked havoc across Accra, Tema and surrounding communities.
According to the Service, firefighters and rescue teams remained on high alert from Sunday, June 28, to Tuesday, June 30, responding to multiple fires, flood emergencies, rescue operations, and a building collapse.
The operations, carried out in collaboration with other emergency response agencies, resulted in the rescue or safe evacuation of 479 people.
However, five lives were lost during the period, while one person sustained injuries and another remains missing.
The first incident occurred at Lartebiokorshie, where personnel from the Industrial Area Fire Station responded to a domestic fire at about 8:31 am.
The blaze was brought under control within 25 minutes and completely extinguished by 9:29 am.
Later that afternoon, firefighters from the Trade Fair Fire Station responded to a commercial fire at Labadi Kojo Sardine after receiving a distress call at 12:49 pm.
The blaze, which partially damaged a metal container and its contents, was brought under control by 1:17 pm.
Preliminary investigations suggest that an overcharged solar panel battery may have sparked the fire.
Meanwhile, at Asutuare Junction, four fire tenders battled a burning fuel tanker.
Firefighters succeeded in bringing the inferno under control at 6:03 a.m. before extinguishing it completely.
The tanker and its contents were destroyed. One person sustained injuries and was rushed to the hospital, while another person lost their life. The exact cause of the fire remains under investigation.
On Monday, June 29, following heavy rains that caused widespread flooding across parts of Greater Accra and Tema, the GNFS intensified rescue operations in collaboration with other emergency response agencies.
At Tse-Ado Last Stop in Accra, a joint operation involving the GNFS, the Ghana Police Service’s Marine Unit, the National Disaster Management Organisation (NADMO), and the Ghana Armed Forces successfully rescued 105 people trapped by floodwaters.
In the Tema Region, firefighters responded to 23 emergency incidents within 24 hours, comprising six fire outbreaks, eight flood-related emergencies and seven incidents involving fallen trees.
Rescue teams saved 12 people trapped by floodwaters and assisted more than 50 residents to safety at Tema Newtown.
However, the Service reported that one female trader remains missing after she was swept away by floodwaters near the Tema Community One Market.
Also on Monday, firefighters responded to a structural emergency at Tabora No. 6 in Accra after a four-storey building collapsed.
Fortunately, all 12 occupants had evacuated the building before it gave way, preventing what could have been a major disaster.
The GNFS confirmed that no injuries or fatalities were recorded in the incident.
By the early hours of Tuesday, June 30, firefighters had concluded extensive rescue operations within the Adabraka-Odawna corridor, one of the areas hardest hit by the flooding.
The Service said more than 300 people were rescued from floodwaters during the operation.
Despite the successful rescue efforts, four people—three males and one female—lost their lives in the flooding.
Firefighters also brought a major fire at the Odawna Rubber Market near Kwame Nkrumah Circle under control.
Although several structures were damaged in the blaze, firefighters prevented the fire from spreading to adjoining properties.
The GNFS confirmed that no casualties were recorded in the market fire and disclosed that a fire appliance has been stationed at the scene to monitor the area and respond promptly to any possible re-ignition.
Providing an overview of the three-day emergency operations, the Ghana National Fire Service said more than 479 people were rescued or safely evacuated during the period.
The Service recorded four flood-related deaths and one fire-related fatality, bringing the total number of deaths to five.
One person sustained injuries, while all 12 occupants of the collapsed building survived. The Service also confirmed that one person remains missing following the flooding in Tema.
