Seven container shops at Bogobiri, a suburb of Obuasi, in the Ashanti region, stocked with various items including spare parts and bales of second hand clothing were destroyed by fire at dawn yesterday.
This is the third time, within two months, that fire has destroyed shops and a house in Obuasi.
Speaking to The Chronicle, the owners of the shops, who could not hold back their tears, said by the destruction, they have lost all that they have been able to accumulate over the years and called for financial support to enable them start life again.
Mr. Kofi Adu who, together with his wife, owns one of the shops said he got a call around 1 am on Thursday that fire had gutted his shop. He stated that on arrival at the scene he realized that the fire was intense to the extent that there was nothing he could do.
Mr. Adu said the cost of spare parts destroyed amounted to over GH¢300,000 whilst 15 bales of second hand clothing were destroyed, estimated to cost GH¢75,000.
Mr. Kwasi Appiah, a mobile money vendor said he lost GH¢7,000.00 cash and three phones worth GH¢2,000.00 to the fire whilst Mr. Kenneth Owusu, an auto decor dealer narrated that items worth GH¢60,000.00 in addition to the cash sum of GH¢3,000.00 was destroyed.
Meanwhile, the Operations Officer of the Obuasi Municipal Fire Command, ADO I Prince Tieku said his men and the Fire Department of AngloGold Ashanti collaborated to put off the fire.
He said his outfit is yet to ascertain the cause of the fire.
From Frederick Danso Abeam, Obuasi
