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General News of Friday, 24 March 2017

Source: 3news.com

We will investigate Kasoa Metro Mass Fire incident and sanction if … - PRO

Metro Mass bus fire incident to be investigated play videoMetro Mass bus fire incident to be investigated

Fire Officers who were detailed from Kasoa Fire Station to douse a burning Metro Mass Transit Bus enroute Cape Coast on Wednesday are likely to be sanctioned for lack of exigency exhibited by the officers that day.

This was disclosed by the Public Relations Officer of the Ghana National Fire Service Prince Billy Anaglatey on Onua Fm morning show ‘Yen Nsem Pa’

A Metro Mass bus en route to Cape Coast from Accra caught fire after two of its tyres exploded on the Kasoa-Cape Coast highway Wednesday.

The bus with registration number GR 5182-15 had its back tyres exploded on reaching Adom City, a community on the Kasoa – Cape Coast Highway. An eyewitness account had it that a minute after the bus stopped, the second back tyre also exploded causing the fire.

Moments after the Kasoa Fire Officers managed to douse the ravaging fire, video of the incident hit the social media. In the video, fire officers could be seen standing by without any sense of urgency, as if doesn’t know what to do, watching the national asset burned away.

The ‘unprofessional’ attitude of the Fire Officers got the bystanders infuriated and they could be heard and seen in the video hooting at the officers. Some also could be heard raining insults and curses on the Officers in displeasure.
There are those who believed that if the Fire Officers had confronted the fire immediately on reaching the scene, the Bus would not have burnt beyond recognition.

Meanwhile, speaking with Bright Kwesi Asempa, the Prince Billy Anaglatey said the service has received several complains about the alleged unprofessionalism demonstrated by his men, adding that the video will be forwarded to the Chief Fire Officer Dr Albert Brown Gaisie for further study. He said if the officers detailed from Kasoa Fire Station are found to have exhibited unprofessional conduct, sanctions will be proffered accordingly.

“After the incident, we have received some complains like that and we have requested the video footage, and if investigations show that the officers did not conduct themselves well, they will be sectioned. My boss is particular about professional conduct of our personnel and he will look into this incident”

The PRO also blamed the management of MMT for fitting the Bus with only 1KG Fire Extinguisher when the recommended extinguisher in such Buses should have been 6KG.