On the night of April 17th, 2024, Ashongman residents witnessed a sudden blaze that consumed three container shops along the same stretch of road. The incident has left the community in distress, as the shops were all engulfed simultaneously.
Among the first responders was Rahim Masahudu, the current Serki Nsamari of the Muslim youth in Ashongman and husband of one of the shop owners. Rahim recounted the chaotic events of the night: “We were outside when someone called out to me, alerting me of a fire outbreak near my home. I rushed to the scene and realized the blaze was dangerously close to my wife’s shop.”
Rahim described how they discovered live wires sparking on the roof, complicating the situation and making it perilous to attempt to extinguish the flames. With the help of a good samaritan and his fire extinguisher, they initially thought they had managed to control the fire. However, a stronger, more intense second wave erupted almost immediately, leading them to seek water from a nearby washing bay. The second wave reached the nearby cosmetics shop, causing the blaze to intensify with explosive bursts.
Despite efforts to summon the fire service, there is no fire station in the Dome-Kwabenya constituency. The firefighters had to travel from Adenta, which delayed their response. By the time they arrived, the shops were significantly damaged.
Firefighters stated that establishing a fire station in the Dome-Kwabenya constituency would enhance their ability to handle incidents like these promptly. While the exact cause of the fire remains unknown, investigations are ongoing to determine the source of the inferno.
The absence of a local fire service station and the rapid spread of the blaze have raised concerns among Ashongman residents. They hope that future incidents can be better managed through improved infrastructure and quicker emergency response times.