Dec 22, 2012 at 11:46pm

Items believed to worth several thousands of Ghana cedis are believed to have been destroyed when fire engulfed the Agona Swedru branch of the Melcom shopping centres.

The fire, according to Eric Kwasi Baah Asifunu, a reporter, intensified after 21.00 GMT on Saturday after workers had locked up for the day.

He indicated that around 20.00 GMT, smoke was seen rising from the furniture section of the store located in an area called Mandela.

He pointed out that as the fire intensified, the assistance of the fire service in the area was sought.

Central Regional Fire Commander of the Ghana National Fire Service, Mr John Amponsah Tetteh, at a press briefing indicated he received a distress call from Agona Swedru Fire Station at about 2130 hours on Saturday that the Melcom shop was on fire.

Mr Tetteh said when information reaching him indicated that the fire was beyond the control of the Agona Swedru Fire Station, he directed the Breman Asikuma, Gomoa Buduburam and Winneba fire stations to go and assist.

He said before they arrived, the shop had been razed to the ground by the fire.

There was no casualty but two warehouses close to the Melcom building, which were said to have been heavily stocked with goods on Saturday for Christmas sales, were also burnt, he said.

Mr Tetteh said the cause of the fire was not yet known and that investigations would be conducted to ascertain the truth of the matter.


The Melcom disaster

The Melcom Group of companies recently suffered a major disaster with the collapse of its Achimota branch . The 6-storey building caved in on Wednesday 7 November, 2012 killing fourteen people.

A preliminary investigative report by an eleven member committee set up by the Ghana Institute of Engineers, identified the use of substandard materials in the construction of the building as a possible cause of the collapse.


By: Philip Kofi Ashon/citifmonline.com/Ghan a