Makola inferno: Why Fire Service is surveilling scene for a week

The Ghana National Fire Service (GNFS) has started a week's surveillance at the fire scene at Makola to monitor and prevent any eventuality.

The Divisional Officer Grade II, Mr Elis Robinson Okoe, the Head of Public Relations, in an interview with the Ghana News Agency, said surveillance at the seat of the fire incident had become necessary due to the nature of the inferno.

He said personnel from the Service and a fire tender had been stationed at the scene to monitor developments for a week.

"We will do this as we await the arrival of a team from Architectural Engineering Services Limited (AESL) the following week to do the needed structural integrity assessment of the building," he said.

Mr Okoe said the structural integrity assessment would determine the state of the building if it was safe for trading activities.

The inferno, which happened a week ago at Makola, destroyed shops and items worth millions of cedis.

It took fire officers three days to completely douse the fire, displacing traders temporarily.

Meanwhile, trading activities have bounced back in the Central Business District.