An overloaded power pole on Owula Mampong Street in Accra Newtown, near the Zen filling station, caught fire in the early hours of Wednesday, November 13, 2024, alarming residents and reigniting long-standing concerns about local infrastructure safety. The blaze, which began around 5 a.m., sent plumes of smoke into the morning sky, forcing residents to evacuate their homes as flames surged from the transformers mounted on a single overloaded pole.
Eyewitnesses reported that the fire burned for nearly 45 minutes before a Good Samaritan managed to control it with a fire extinguisher. Emergency services were contacted immediately, but some locals took it upon themselves to go directly to the fire station due to delays in the response.
The incident marks the third time in recent months that the same pole has caught fire, leaving many residents fearful and frustrated. “It was terrifying,” one resident shared. “The sparks and flames were right outside our building, and we have no secondary exit. I had to wake up my neighbors, and we all ran out, praying we’d be safe.” Another resident described the fear and vulnerability that morning, noting that the hostel where they live lacks a fire extinguisher, leaving them with limited options as the fire raged nearby.
The repeated fires on this power pole have sparked an outcry from the community, calling on the Electricity Company of Ghana (ECG) to take immediate action to prevent a potentially catastrophic incident. Residents are urging ECG to investigate the cause of the recurring fires and are specifically requesting a redistribution of transformers to reduce the strain on the overloaded pole. They believe these safety measures are critical to safeguarding their community, especially given the close proximity of the pole to residential buildings and the absence of secondary exits in some of the structures.
With heightened concerns about their safety, residents are hoping for a prompt response from ECG. “We just want assurance that we can live safely here,” a resident said. “Redistributing these transformers or reinforcing the pole would be a huge step in protecting us all from future fires.”
Local authorities have also taken note of the incident, with a spokesperson confirming that they are in discussions with ECG to investigate and address the risks posed by overloaded power poles. The community now waits for ECG’s response, hopeful that their concerns will finally be addressed to prevent further dangerous incidents.
