Kumasi: Fire destroys several residential apartments at Bomso

A fierce blaze has gutted multiple residential apartments in the densely populated suburb of Bomso, in the Oforikrom Municipality of Kumasi in the Ashanti region.

According to eyewitnesses and affected residents, the inferno reportedly started in a single-room apartment before rapidly spreading to adjacent rooms within the compound.

Preliminary accounts suggest that the fire may have been triggered by an explosion from an electricity meter, which is believed to have ignited the flames.

The fire ravaged more than fifty rooms, leaving scores of residents displaced and destroying valuables worth thousands of cedis.

Some victims, speaking in distress, recounted their losses and the speed with which the fire spread through the building.

District Fire Commander for Oforikrom, DO2 Appiah Anthony, who led the team of firefighters to the scene, confirmed that his officers responded swiftly upon receiving the emergency call.

However, he noted that the intensity of the fire, coupled with the structure’s layout, made containment challenging.

The Municipal Chief Executive for Oforikrom, Anwal Sadat Ahmed, who visited the scene, sympathised with the affected families and assured them of the assembly’s support.

He also called for increased public education on fire safety and the need for residents to report faulty electrical installations promptly.

Emergency services have since launched an investigation to ascertain the exact cause of the fire, while displaced residents are appealing for urgent support to rebuild their lives.