Emergency responders across the Greater Accra Region faced a grueling night as a torrential Wednesday downpour triggered a wave of flooding and fire outbreaks, keeping teams active well into Thursday morning.
The Ghana National Fire Service (GNFS) deployed multiple crews across various districts to handle the fallout of the severe weather, managing to rescue nearly a dozen trapped citizens and containing several blazes.
The emergency operations began early Wednesday evening at around 5:30 p.m. when the Madina Fire Station rushed to Oyarifa to tackle a fire involving an Electricity Company of Ghana (ECG) meter board inside a home.
Firefighters contained the blaze within an hour, preventing further structural damage and ensuring no casualties.
Shortly after, the same station was redirected to assist residents trapped by rising floodwaters.
Teams launched simultaneous rescue operations at Oyarifa KB Junction and Old Ashongman near the Bohye Church, successfully pulling nine people to safety from the deluged areas without any injuries.
As night fell, electrical fires continued to spark across the region. Just before 10:00 p.m., crews rushed to the Kanda Post Office area, where underground cables behind a residential property had caught fire.
Firefighters quickly managed the situation before it could spread to the nearby building.
The early hours of Thursday morning brought no respite. Just before 1:00 a.m., an alarm was raised for a shop fire in Makola, directly opposite the Accra City Fire Station.
Fortunately, bystanders and shop owners managed to extinguish the flames just as the crew arrived, though several items were partially damaged.
An hour later, the Trade Fair Fire Station was dispatched to the Nungua Cold Store Area near the local police station. Firefighters found a residential single room and a kitchen porch partially engulfed in flames.
While the contents of both spaces were damaged, no injuries were reported.
The final incident occurred just after 4:00 a.m. on Thursday when the Amasaman Fire Station responded to a fire at Kuntense Satellite.
An ECG utility pole had caught fire, completely destroying the installed meters before crews could extinguish it.
Investigations into the causes of the various fires are currently underway.
Meanwhile, the GNFS leadership has commended the swift action of the responding crews and urged the public to exercise extreme caution during heavy rains. Citizens are reminded to contact emergency services immediately via 112, 0302772446, or 0299340383 in the event of an emergency.
By: Rainbowradioonline.com/Ghana