By Naa Shormei Odonkor, GNA
Kumasi, May 16, GNA – A warehouse belonging to Pokupharma Limited at Fumesua in the Ejisu Municipality has been destroyed by fire, resulting in the loss of large quantities of pharmaceutical products.
No casualties were recorded in the incident, but most of the products stored in the warehouse were destroyed by the blaze.
Fire officers, however, managed to prevent the fire from spreading to an adjoining two-storey building.
Pokupharma Limited is a pharmaceutical manufacturing company engaged in the production and distribution of drugs in the country.
Divisional Officer (DO) III Atta Aheng Mensah, Ashanti Regional Public Relations Officer of the Ghana National Fire Service, told the Ghana News Agency (GNA) that the Service received a distress call about the fire outbreak.
He said personnel from the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology Fire Station were immediately dispatched to the scene.
“The appliances at the Ejisu Fire Station are out of commission so appliances from Tech and other two stations were dispatched to the scene,” he said.
DO III Mensah said fire officers arrived at the scene and found the fire at its developing stage in the warehouse adjoining a two-storey building.
To prevent the spread of the fire from engulfing the storey building, the officers managed to cut off the fire from reaching the building.
DO III Mensah said the fire was brought under control after two fire tenders from Asokore Mampong and the GNFS Headquarters were dispatched to support the first tender from KNUST.
DO III Mensah said investigations were ongoing to determine the cause of the fire.
He advised business owners to periodically invite officers of the GNFS to inspect their facilities to ensure compliance with fire safety measures.
He stressed the importance of proper segmentation and arrangement of products in warehouses, noting that some chemicals could trigger fire outbreaks when stored together under certain temperatures.
“There are some chemicals that, when placed beside each other in their right proportions depending on the room temperature can start a fire,” said DO III Mensah.
Additionally, he advised citizens to switch off all electrical appliances before leaving their homes to prevent possible fire outbreaks.
“Make sure you remove the plugs completely from the sockets when you are leaving your place of abode,” he stressed.
GNA
Edited by Yussif Ibrahim/Kenneth Odeng Adade
Reporter: Naa Shormei Odonkor
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