Fire destroys property at Omanhene's residence

Sunyani, April 9, GNA - Fire outbreak at the residence of Nana Bofo Bene IV, Omanhene of Twenem Traditional Area in Sunyani on Wednesday destroyed property worth thousands of Ghana cedis. The property included his saloon car and Nissan Primmer with registration number BA 20 Z, academic certificates, other official documents, jewelry, clothes native sandals and other traditional. Also burnt to ashes were a goat tethered at a garage in the residence for Easter cerebration and tubers of yam. There was no casualty. Officers of the Fire Service who put off the fire are still investigating its cause.

Nana Bene, an Assistant Director in-charge of Finance and Administration at the Sunyani Municipal Education Directorate told GNA at the scene that he detected the fire at the garage at about 0130 hours and alerted all inmates to move out.

He said the fire service was immediately called and its personnel responded quickly and the fire was extinguished before it could spread. The chief disclosed that an attempt was made during the past week by some unidentified persons to bugle the house and showed the GNA some part of bugler proof devise that were tampered with.

Nana Bene appealed for assistance from the Government, NADMO, and philanthropies towards the rehabilitation of the palace. When contacted, Mr. Kwesi Bafour-Awuah, Sunyani Municipal Fire Officer said a team of Fire men led by Mr. S.K. Boakye rushed to the house un receiving the distress call at 0242 hours and brought the outbreak under control at 0320 hours.

He expressed concern about rampant false fire outbreak calls made by people to the station of late saying the practice hampered their smooth operation.

"This month alone, we have received about 10 calls, eight of which were false.

The practice not only put our men at risk but it also had a toll on budget, considering fuel wasted when attending to such calls. The GNA learnt that the Municipal Fire Station which cater for Sunyani Municipal, Sunyani West, Tano North and south District, lacked communication gadget that could aid the station to monitor rescue operations.

The source said the station needed means of transport to facilitate monitoring, as well as a functional fire tender.