Twelve vehicles and five auto mechanic shops have been razed down in a fire outbreak at Dichemso in the Kumasi metropolis in the Ashanti region, in the early hours of Thursday morning.

Mini buses, salon cars, fitting equipment and vehicle spare parts are among properties burnt into ashes that run into thousands of Ghana cedis on the Dichemso-Krofrom highway.

According to a resident who was an eyewitness, he told Otec FM’s reporter, Evans Agyei Sikapa, who visited the scene, the fire started at 2 am Thursday and efforts made by residents to put out the fire proved futile.

“When the fire started we (residents) mobilized ourselves to put out the fire, which has started at one shop, with the pouring of water but we couldn’t so it spread to the other shops where the vehicles were packed,” he said.

One of the owners whose shop were burnt, Abdul Raman, told the reporter that he was at home when he had a call that his shop was on fire, he quickly came to scene and was nothing he could the help the situation.

“I have lost two machines and other car spare parts which cost about GHC3, 000. Five Nissan mini buses and one Toyota Corolla taxi cap which had been brought to me for repairs have all been burn,” he sobbed as he spoke.

“I was on my way to the mosque in the morning when I got a phone call from a colleague asking me to rush to our working place because my shop was on fire. When I got here my shop was on fire,” another victim also said.

Fire personnel from the Ghana National Fire Service (GNFS) branch at the Manhyia Palace put out the fire and have commenced investigation.