The Ghana National Fire Service (GNFS) has confirmed that the fire that ravaged parts of the China City Mall in Kumasi on Thursday originated from a warehouse located on the first floor of the affected structure.
This was disclosed by the Head of Public Relations of the GNFS, Divisional Officer (DO II) Desmond E. Ackah, during an interview on Morning Starr with Joshua Kodjo Mensah on Friday, October 31.
According to Mr. Ackah, preliminary investigations by fire officers at the scene have established the point of origin, though the exact cause of the blaze is yet to be determined.
He said, “The good news is that we’ve been able to establish the origin of the fire at the warehouse, which was on the first floor of the affected structure.”
He added that investigators are still on-site conducting detailed examinations of the debris and reconstructing the sequence of events that led to the outbreak.
“Investigations have begun, and as I have been briefed, investigators are currently on the ground to ensure that they excavate, reconstruct, and get to know what actually led to the fire,” he explained.
The officer urged the public to allow the process to be completed before making assumptions about the cause of the fire.
“I believe that once investigations have begun, we should allow them to be able to conclude on their investigations and be able to tell us the exact cause of the fire,” he said.
Mr. Ackah further commended the timely response of firefighters, noting that their swift action prevented the blaze from spreading beyond the main structure and helped avert potential damage to nearby buildings and loss of life.
The inferno, which began around 3 p.m. on Thursday at the Santasi Star Junction branch of China City Mall, destroyed the entire building and goods worth thousands of cedis.
No casualties have been reported so far, while investigations continue into the exact cause of the incident.
Source: Starrfm.com.gh
