At least five people have died, one person remains missing, and 479 others have been rescued or safely evacuated following a series of flood, fire and structural emergencies that struck Accra, Tema and surrounding communities over the past three days, the Ghana National Fire Service (GNFS) has disclosed.
According to the Service, firefighters and rescue teams remained on high alert from Sunday, June 28, to Tuesday, June 30, responding to dozens of incidents, including widespread flooding, fire outbreaks, a fuel tanker explosion and a building collapse.
The GNFS said four of the deaths were linked to flooding, while one person died in a fuel tanker fire at Asutuare Junction. One person sustained injuries during the period, while a female trader swept away by floodwaters in Tema remains missing.
The most extensive rescue operations were conducted on Tuesday in the Adabraka-Odawna corridor, one of the areas hardest hit by flooding in Accra.
According to the Service, more than 300 people were rescued from floodwaters in the area. However, four people — three males and one female — lost their lives during the flooding.
Firefighters also contained a major fire outbreak at the Odawna Rubber Market near Kwame Nkrumah Circle. Although several structures were destroyed, the Service said firefighters prevented the blaze from spreading to adjoining properties.
The GNFS added that no casualties were recorded in the market fire and that a fire appliance remains stationed at the scene to prevent any possible re-ignition.
On Monday, June 29, following heavy rainfall that caused widespread flooding across parts of Greater Accra and Tema, the GNFS intensified rescue operations in collaboration with other emergency response agencies.
At Tse-Ado Last Stop in Accra, a joint operation involving the GNFS, the Ghana Police Service Marine Unit, the National Disaster Management Organisation (NADMO), and the Ghana Armed Forces rescued 105 people trapped by floodwaters.
Those rescued included 40 women, 20 men and 45 children, all of whom were evacuated to safety.
In the Tema Region, firefighters responded to 23 emergency incidents within a 24-hour period, including six fire outbreaks, eight flood-related emergencies and seven fallen-tree incidents.
The Service said rescue teams saved 12 people trapped by floodwaters and assisted more than 50 residents to safety at Tema Newtown.
However, one female trader remains unaccounted for after she was reportedly swept away by floodwaters near the Tema Community One Market.
Also on Monday, firefighters responded to a structural emergency at Tabora No. 6 in Accra after a four-storey building collapsed.
The GNFS said all 12 occupants of the building had evacuated before the structure gave way, preventing what could have been a major disaster. No injuries or fatalities were recorded.
Earlier, on Sunday, June 28, firefighters successfully contained two separate fire outbreaks in Accra without any casualties.
The first incident occurred at Lartebiokorshie, where personnel from the Industrial Area Fire Station responded to a domestic fire at about 8:31 a.m. The fire destroyed one room and its contents but firefighters managed to save adjoining portions of the building.
Later that day, personnel from the Trade Fair Fire Station responded to a commercial fire at Labadi Kojo Sardine. Preliminary investigations suggest that an overcharged solar panel battery may have triggered the blaze, which partially damaged a metal container and its contents.
Meanwhile, firefighters battled a fuel tanker fire at Asutuare Junction using four fire tenders. Although the blaze was eventually extinguished, the tanker and its contents were completely destroyed.
One person sustained injuries and was rushed to hospital, while another person lost their life. The cause of the fire remains under investigation.
Providing an overview of the three-day emergency operations, the GNFS said its personnel rescued or safely evacuated 479 people while responding to multiple emergencies across the country.