Pandemonium and uncontrolled wailing was the scene at Asaase- Bonso, a farming community in the Sekyere Central portion of the Afram Plains, on Monday afternoon, as residents looked on helplessly while the entire community was engulfed by fire.

The raging bushfire propelled by severe windstorm, destroyed 55 houses, about 450 inhabitants were affected and their food crop farms, domestic items and properties were lost.

The over 700 displaced inhabitants are currently residing in the local primary school block, which was spared by the fire.

The fire, according to the visibly grief-stricken residents, started from a nearby bush at around 1130 hours when most residents had gone to farm and all attempts by the school pupils, teachers and other residents at home to douse the flames proved unsuccessful.

The teachers sensing danger rushed the entire pupils to nearby Afram River for protection. Nana Asumadu Sarpong, the Odikro of the village, told the Ghana News Agency that even though the area was prone to bushfires during dry seasons, what happened on Monday was the worst of its kind to be experienced in the community.

He said the people are in great anguish because most of them had lost almost everything from personal belongings to farm produce as well as cash.

Nana Sarpong called for immediate assistance to enable the people rehabilitate their houses and farms.

Mr Fuseini Donkor, the District National Disaster Management Organisation (NADMO) Co-ordinator, who visited the community on Wednesday, presented two bags of rice, a quantity of biscuits, sachet water and soft drinks to the people and assured them of assistance from the central government.