By Eric Appah Marfo, GNA
Accra, Feb.21, GNA—About 100 people displaced after a fire disaster at Osu on Thursday appeared in a lurch in the locality and called for support from the public.
Most of the displaced hang around the debris during the day and sleep in front of people’s shops at night, with a few spending the night with relatives and friends.
Mr Yohane Tetteh, a carpenter and a victim of the fire incident, told the Ghana News Agency that he and others had been sleeping on benches in front of shops.
“We wake up at dawn and stand outside to bath. During the day, we hang around at this place, chat and socialise, but in the evening, we are left with the burden of where to lay our heads.”
“We compromise and share whatever little space is available and then we sleep. For me, I’ve asked my wife and children to go and stay with some family members until the situation is turned around,” he lamented.
He said Dr Zanetor Agyeman-Rawlings, Member of Parliament for Klottey-Korle Constituency visited them on the day of the incident to inspect the extent of damage caused and to sympathise with them.
Mr Tetteh said she also donated relief items, including second-hand clothing, mosquito nets, mosquito coils, bleach, buckets, and cups to them.
“The newly installed Osu Mantse Nii Teinor Ashigenteh II, also came over to donate rice, soft drinks, bags of sachet water and GH₵1,000.00. Nii Adjei Tawiah, MCE for Korle Klottey Municipal Assembly has also been here. However, our biggest concern now has to do with where to lay our heads,” he said and called for help.
Mr Tetteh said personnel from the Accra Metropolitan Assembly (AMA) came on Friday to demolish a storey building at the site, which was posing as a death trap.
He called on government, Civil Society Organisations, and other benevolent individuals to come to their aid.
Mr Kwadwo Ahenkora Adu, another victim, appealed to the government to give them money for rent.
Madam Ruth Abban, a middle-aged woman, who lost her provision shop and money to the fire, said she needed capital to restart her business.
Many more victims appealed for food, mattresses, and toiletries with a few begging for cash support.
When GNA visited the place, it was observed that all 15 rooms were razed with several items charred beyond salvage.
The destroyed items include clothes, furniture, household appliances and kitchenware.
GNA
(The Daily Searchlight appears every day on the newsstands and for sale 24 hours every day and all week on www.ghananewsstand.com. Visit www.ghananewsstand.com for a wide variety of newspapers published in Ghana and from across the world.)
