A fire outbreak at Atonsu Gyinyase in the Ashanti Region has destroyed three shops and their contents, leaving business owners devastated after losing their livelihoods.
The blaze, which broke out at about 8:40 p.m. on Monday, June 1, destroyed the affected structures, including a beauty salon and a carpentry shop. No items were salvaged from the fire.
One of the victims, Maame Nyarko, said she had invested heavily in the beauty salon, which she opened just two months ago after returning from South Africa.
“Just about 20 minutes after getting home, I was called that the shop was on fire. I was surprised because I just left there. Indeed, when I rushed here, the shop was on fire. I was not able to salvage anything,” she told Citi News.
The fire has left the affected traders counting significant losses as they seek to recover from the destruction.
Speaking to Citi News on Tuesday, June 2, the Ashanti Regional Public Relations Officer of the Ghana National Fire Service, DOIII Atta-Aheng Mensah, said firefighters responded to the incident after receiving a distress call.
He explained that the fire tender stationed at the regional headquarters at Atonsu Chirapatre was not operational at the time, prompting the immediate deployment of personnel from the Tech Fire Station.
According to him, the fire had intensified by the time firefighters arrived at the scene, making it impossible to save any property.
“By the time personnel arrived, the fire had already spread extensively, and no property could be salvaged,” he said.
Despite the extensive damage, no injuries or fatalities were recorded.
DOIII Atta-Aheng Mensah said investigations have commenced to establish the cause of the fire.
The incident adds to growing concerns over fire outbreaks affecting businesses across the country, with many traders often left struggling to recover after losing goods and investments to such disasters.
