Suame Magazine Artisans Cry Out for Fire Station After Devastating Inferno
A massive fire has ravaged over 30 shops and vehicles in the Suame Industrial enclave in Kumasi, leaving artisans counting their losses and pleading for a fire station to be established in the area. The fire, which occurred on Friday night, destroyed properties worth millions of cedis and has left many business owners in distress.
The artisans are lamenting the fact that a previously existing fire station in the area was relocated to a farther destination, making it difficult for emergency responders to arrive on time. They describe the incident as “unprecedented” and are calling on leaders to establish a new fire station in the vicinity.
The fire started at around 10 pm on Friday and quickly spread, engulfing several shops and vehicles. Despite the efforts of fire tenders from nearby towns, the fire was not fully extinguished until several hours later.
Artisans who were affected by the fire are struggling to come to terms with their losses. Peter Asiedu, who has worked in the enclave for nearly three decades, lost all of his equipment and stock. “I had bought new items to sell later, but all have been burnt. I don’t know what I will be coming to do here since my shop has been burnt. I am worried about how to fend for my family,” he said.
Another victim, Ayishatu, narrowly escaped the inferno with her three children, but lost all of her belongings. “I could take nothing except my children. Everything is burnt. Someone even gave me a dress to wear this morning,” she said, weeping.
The Suame Industrial enclave is the region’s largest auto-mechanic and trading center, and the absence of a fire station in the area is a major concern. The artisans are appealing to leaders to establish a new fire station in the vicinity to prevent such disasters from occurring in the future.
No casualties were recorded, but the artisans are eagerly anticipating financial support to re-establish their livelihoods, as most of them are without insurance.
