ACCRA, Oct 31 (The African Portal) – Ghana’s National Fire Service (GNFS) said on Friday that the China City Mall in Kumasi, which was destroyed by fire a day earlier, did not have a fire hydrant or mechanised borehole to help contain the blaze.
Divisional Officer Desmond E. Ackah, head of public relations at the GNFS, said the absence of key fire safety systems contributed to the rapid spread of the fire, which gutted the building and its contents.
Speaking on Accra-based Channel One TV, Ackah said the mall, which had been operating for only six months, was still in the process of meeting some fire safety requirements.
“They didn’t have a fire hydrant. Once you meet the basic fire safety requirements, you are permitted to start operation. But the requirement is progressive, so you move from the less costly one to the high-costly one,” he said.
He added that management had been expected to install either a hydrant or an alternative water storage system, but that had not yet been done. “Some of these things are capital-intensive, and probably that is why they haven’t done that before starting operation,” he said.
Ackah said the fire could have been contained earlier if adequate water systems had been in place. He also criticised members of the public who obstructed firefighters during the operation.
The blaze at the China City Mall in Santasi, a suburb of Kumasi, caused extensive damage but no casualties were reported. The mall housed shops selling groceries, electronics and household items. Thick smoke from the fire could be seen several kilometres away.
