Over 200 shops have been destroyed in a fire outbreak at the Makola Mall opposite the Ghana School of Law in Accra.
The fire, whose cause is yet to be established, started at about 12:24 a.m on Saturday.
Public Relations Officer (PRO) for Fire Service ADO2, Alex Nartey, confirmed the incident in an interview with Adom News.
He said firefighters from the Makola Fire Station arrived at the scene within two minutes but had to call for reinforcement because the fire was fast spreading.
ADO2 Nartey revealed it took them about five hours to douse the fire, adding there were several explosions to the items in the shops.
The PRO said wigs and perfumes were the items mainly sold in the affected shops, and because they are highly combustible, it kept increasing the fire.
“We realised there were gas cylinders because some of the traders cook and leave them in the shops. The lives of our men were in danger, and at a point, they had to jump over walls for safety, but we managed to salvage over 3,000 shops,” he said.
Meanwhile, ADO2 Nartey said a thorough investigation will be conducted to establish the cause of the fire and guide the next line of action.
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