4 Injured In GRA Fire – As Ag GRA Boss Allays Fear Of Burnt Cash

Four persons were injured during the Sunday morning fire that engulfed the Ghana Revenue Authority (GRA) Large and Medium Tax Office in Accra.

The injured persons are all personnel of the Ghana National Fire Service.

An official of the Ghana Red Cross said three of the injuries are minor but one person is severely injured and has been transferred to the hospital.

The Fire Officer was rushed to the hospital in a Nima Police Command’s van as there was no ambulance at the scene.

Commander of the Nima Police Division, ACP Abraham Aquaye, who was at the scene of the fire  said that there was no ambulance to convey the injured firefighter to the hospital after he was given first aid by the Red Cross team.

The fire fighter whose name is not yet known was rushed from the flaming building with a cut on the left leg.

ACP Aquaye said “the smoke was too dim that an officer from the GNFS got injured but unfortunately there was no ambulance to convey him, I had to give my command car out so he can be rushed to the hospital…,” he said worriedly.

Meanwhile, the Acting Commissioner General of GRA Ammishadai Owusu-Amoah, says no amount of money was lost out of the disaster.

He said the Authority’s database is also safe stressing that there is a back-up plan for their database.

Mr. Owusu-Amoah’s comments follows stories circulating that some huge amount of money had been burnt in the fire that has since been contained.

He told journalists that over 280 staff that operates from the burnt office will temporally commence work at the GRA’s Headquarters which is also known as the Kinbu office.

Newly appointed Board Chairman of the GRA, Prof Stephen Adei, who was at the scene gave assurance that important documents are safe.

Large taxes supposed to be paid at the burnt office will be paid at the headquarters from Monday while the medium taxes will be paid at the GRA Adabraka office.

GRA Fire

The Large and Medium tax office of the GRA went up in flames early Sunday morning at around 8am with Fire fighters struggling to put off the raging fire that took about two-and-half hours to be brought under control.

Although, eyewitnesses accounts are varied, others insist that thick black smoke was seen bellowing out of the facility around 9am before the flames became visible.

The fire hit the Archives Department of the GRA which has a lot combustible materials.

Six fire tenders and a turntable ladder were used by the personnel to douse the flames.

Reports say, the fire started at one half of the second floor but after few hours, took over the whole upper part of the huge building.

The cause of the fire is not yet known.

The street in front of the multipurpose edifice was blocked as a crowd of curious onlookers thickened.

The Ghana Red Cross advised onlookers to stay clear of the burning building to prevent injuries from breaking glasses.

As at press time yesterday, vehicular traffic had been diverted through the Kotoko Avenue to pave way for firefighters to continue their work.