The Ghana National Fire Service has successfully contained a major fire that devastated the China Mall in Kumasi on Thursday. Officials confirmed the blaze was fully extinguished by 10:00 p.m. after a grueling nineteen hour operation.
GNFS Public Relations Officer Desmond Ackah detailed the rapid response during a radio interview Friday. He stated a distress call was received at 3:19 a.m., with firefighters arriving at the scene by 3:31 a.m. despite significant traffic delays.
By the time our officers got there, the fire had already engulfed the entire space, Ackah explained. The intensity required crews to call for additional water pumps to combat the flames.
The operation faced a critical safety setback when structural cracks were discovered in the building. Firefighters were forced to temporarily retreat to avoid potential collapse before safely resuming their work.
Ackah confirmed that crews managed to confine the destruction to the main mall, successfully protecting adjacent properties. He highlighted that no injuries or fatalities were reported, crediting the mall’s management for their effective emergency evacuation protocols.
Investigators have since traced the fire’s origin to a first floor warehouse. The cause remains under active investigation. Ackah noted that such final reports are shared with property owners and used to inform future public fire safety education.
