High power voltage sparks fire at Tesano Prudential Bank

The main electric switchboard that transmits electrical current to the Tesano Branch of the Prudential Bank went up in flames Thursday afternoon bringing banking activities there to a halt.

The timely intervention of staff and eyewitnesses brought the fire under control before the arrival of the Ghana National Fire Service.

No casualty was recorded. The fire outbreak was contained within the small room so it did not extend to the banking hall and other apartments of the bank building. Only the switchboard and some electrical wires were damaged.

According to Station Officer, Emmanuel Akrong of the Korle Bu Fire Station, preliminary investigations indicate that the fire might have been caused by high power voltage.

Recalling what might have ignited the fire, the Branch Manager, Madam Violette Laniyan told Myjoyonline.com that personnel of the Electricity Company of Ghana were at the branch earlier to remove a malfunctioning meter because it was impossible to reload credit into the system.

She said about an hour after they had left, she heard “funny” noise coming from the direction of the room where the switch board was, and soon after, someone outside the building shouted fire and the room suddenly became stuffy.

“I saw smoke coming from the corridor so immediately I ensured that everybody was evacuated from the banking hall. Vehicles within the yard were also moved away,” she recounted.

She said with the help of the security personnel at post, some passers-by and clients of the bank, the staff used about 20 fire extinguishers to put out the fire.

Madam Laniyan said since no serious damage was caused, the bank would swing into full operation immediately power is reconnected to the hall hopefully by Friday.

An eyewitness, Alex Nanortey told Myjoyonline.com he was driving by when he saw a pole close to the building with sparks of fire and later saw a smoke coming from the building.

“They were trying to climb from the other side to use the ladder, I peeped and saw that there was a flame there so I saw that they have a carbon dioxide there, I took it and rushed in and switched off the main switch.”