Kasoa: Firefighters pelted with stones as fire destroys 15 shops

The blaze, which broke out mid-morning, prompted some residents to pelt firefighters from the Weija Fire Station with stones when they arrived, accusing them of responding late after the fire had already caused extensive damage.

The Assemblyman for the American Town Electoral Area, Shadrach Boakye Yiadom, condemned the attack and urged the authorities to repair the faulty fire tenders.

“We called the Kasoa Fire Service and we were told their vehicle had broken down, same with Buduburam. I don’t understand why my people resorted to pelting stones at them. That is something I will never encourage my people to do,” he said.

Mr Boakye Yiadom urged residents to help contain fires rather than attack emergency responders, saying the incident highlighted the need to address equipment challenges facing the fire service.

A resident, Mr Boateng, also expressed disappointment that firefighters from the nearby Kasoa station could not respond because of the breakdown.

“The fire station is just a stone-throw from the incident but they could not respond because their fire tender has broken down. Authorities must come in and ensure that the fire tenders are fixed so that the citizens of Kasoa will be free. I am very disappointed,” he told Citi News.

The affected shops dealt in various goods, including mobile phones, electrical appliances and wood crafts. The owners are yet to quantify their losses and are concerned about how to rebuild their businesses.

The Awutu Senya East Director of the National Disaster Management Organisation (NADMO), Nash Nyandey, said a preliminary assessment had identified a possible electrical fault as the cause of the fire.

He also raised concerns about congestion in the area, saying NADMO had previously advised occupants to vacate. He said the organisation would use the incident as an opportunity to clear the area and restore order.