There has been a reported fire outbreak resulting in over 10 shops being burned to ashes at Golden Gate Junction, a suburb of Budumburam in Gomoa East District of the Central Region.

According to reports cited by Rainbow Radio Accra, the fire, which started in the late hours of Tuesday, November 21, 2023, was caused by faulty electrical cables.

The fire outbreak caused by faulty electrical cables, as earlier speculated by the locals around, was later confirmed by the Ghana Fire National Service branch in the Kasoa Metropolis.

D03 Sarah Obimpeh, Commander for Budumburam Fire Service, said they couldn’t quench the fire as swiftly as they would have wanted upon getting to the scene because ECG didn’t shut down the main power on time, and that made it dangerous for them to operate because it was under the GRIDCO main line.

“When we got here, we ascertained that it was an electrical fault, and the ECG had to shut down the power because we could enter to salvage the situation, but we had to wait till it was done before we could work, and that resulted in over 10 shops being burned to the ground.”

D03 Sarah Obimpeh also said that the place in question is not the ideal place for people to trade, hence the need for the Assembly to be circumspect in their approval of the venues.

“Where the shops are even situated under the high tension is not good, and from here we will speak to the Assembly not to give people access to sell at such stations because it is dangerous,” D03 Sarah Obimpeh said, as reported by Rainbow Radio Accra.