More than 700 residents have been rendered homeless after fire swept through a slum settlement at Afful Nkwanta in the Oforikrom Municipality of the Ashanti Region.
The blaze, which broke out around 4:30 p.m. on Saturday, razed hundreds of makeshift wooden structures serving as homes for head porters and scrap dealers.
Firefighters faced major setbacks upon arrival, including narrow and inaccessible routes to the settlement as well as resistance from a hostile crowd that disrupted their operations.
Officials of the Ghana National Fire Service estimate that between 300 and 400 structures were completely destroyed. The closely packed nature of the wooden structures significantly contributed to the rapid spread of the fire and the scale of destruction.
Afful Nkwanta has a history of recurring fire outbreaks, with similar incidents recorded in 2016, 2020, and earlier this year, repeatedly displacing residents and destroying property.
Speaking on Saturday, January 17, the Acting Asokwa Municipal Fire Commander, ADO I Ebenezer Graham, explained that his team responded promptly after receiving a distress call at about 4:16 p.m., but encountered serious challenges on arrival. He noted that poor access to the area and attacks from a mob hindered firefighting efforts, adding that an estimated 300 to 400 structures were affected by the inferno.
