The Ghana Fire Service’ readiness to douse the fire at the Ghana Revenue Authority building was gravely inadequate say eyewitnesses at the scene.

People who saw the blaze have condemned the fire authority for shortcomings and systemic failures in its response to the fire.

Dozens of eyewitness accounts have begun to emerge from the fire outbreak with some even claiming lives would have been lost if the incident had occurred on a working day.

An eyewitness who spoke to Ghanaweb recounted that in a matter of minutes, what was once perfect a facility was a little more than a charred wreck as the building was gutted by fire.

He adds that he got to the scene just as the first fire engine was arriving.

When Ghanaweb got to the scene, personnel of the Ghana National Fire Service (GNFS) were still struggling to put out the fire.

The fire had spread from the back of the building to the front, mainly visible at the upper floors of the four-floor storey building which underwent rehabilitation about 10 years ago.

The blaze hit the Archives Department of the GRA which has a lot combustible materials.

The street in front of the multipurpose edifice was blocked as a crowd of onlookers thickened. The Ghana Red Cross advised onlookers to stay clear of the burning building to prevent injuries from breaking glasses.

Newly appointed Board Chairman of the GRA, Prof Stephen Adei, was at the scene and gave assurance that important documents are safe.