Over 20 shops and several homes have been lost in a fire outbreak at Agogloshie known formerly as Old Fadama, residents have said.

Residents say the fire started as a result of a gas explosion that occurred on Sunday at about 11:30 am while most of them were still at church.

“I’m a final year student of City Business College. I have lost my books and everything I need to send to school today has been burnt. Where we will sleep today has even become a burden to us,” a resident shared.

Other properties including a sum of ¢900, television sets, six sewing machines amongst others, belonging to residents allegedly have been lost during the fire outbreak.

Assemblyman for Amamomo Electoral Area, Mosah Ziyaa appealed to government to come to the aid of the residents as they have lost a lot.

“We are pleading with the government in terms of the water situation, the access to road, the gutters...We will call on President Akufo-Addo, his Vice and Zongo Development Ministry to support us with cement bags, blocks etc,” Mr Musah said.

Eyewitnesses explained that the fire could have been quenched if the community had enough water and officers of the Ghana National Fire Service arrived in time.

The desperate residents, however, resorted to extinguishing the fire with sachet water as none of the options they sought was available.

“The fire was not worse but we have not had water in about three months now so none was available to use to fight the fire,” a resident explained.

Mr Musah, however, further advised residents to put up concrete structures instead of wooden ones that were torn down by the fires.

“Once it’s a wooden structure, the likelihood of it getting burnt is very serious, and when it gets burnt that way, the likelihood of it getting to other places is very high,” he stated.

The Assemblyman added that although several calls had been made to government, the usual response has always been NADMO coming to their aid with mattresses, bedsheets, “among other stuff.”