The Chief Fire Officer of the Ghana National Fire Service, Daniella Mawusi Ntow-Sapong, is urging the immediate relocation of squatters from industrial zones within the Tema enclave following a massive fire outbreak that destroyed over 500 makeshift structures and left hundreds homeless.

The blaze, which occurred on Wednesday night behind the Ferro Fabric Metal Company in the Tema Heavy Industrial Area, raged for over ten hours before it was finally brought under control by firefighters.

The inferno swept through a densely populated area filled with wooden shacks, leaving behind a trail of destruction and despair.

On Thursday, Chief Fire Officer Ntow-Sapong led a high-level delegation to assess the damage and expressed grave concern over the increasing dangers posed by unregulated settlements in industrial areas.

“Unauthorised settlements in key industrial zones severely hinder emergency response efforts and pose significant fire and flood risks,” she warned.

“We must act now to prevent even greater disasters in the future.”

The fire displaced hundreds of families, many of whom are now struggling to find shelter and necessities.

Among the affected are schoolchildren and nursing mothers who are in urgent need of assistance.

Deputy Director of the National Disaster Management Organisation (NADMO) for the Tema Metropolis, Janet Mensah Abrompa, also visited the scene and appealed to private businesses, humanitarian organisations, and benevolent individuals to come to the aid of the victims.

“These families have lost everything. We are calling on the private sector and all well-meaning Ghanaians to extend a helping hand,” she said.

The Tema Metropolitan Assembly (TMA) has announced that it is working closely with stakeholders to coordinate relief efforts and provide temporary support for the affected residents.