A fire broke out on the mezzanine floor of the Job 600 Building of Parliament on Tuesday, August 27, but it did not cause significant damage or disrupt the facility’s operations, according to the Regional Commander for the Greater Accra Region of the Fire Service, ACFO1 Roberta Aggrey-Ghanson
Regional Commander for the Greater Accra Region of the Fire Service, ACFO1 Roberta Aggrey-Ghanson, confirmed that the fire has been brought under control. Speaking to the Parliamentary Press Corps, ACFO1 Aggrey-Ghanson explained that the fire service received an alert at 9:45 am and responded immediately.
“Our team arrived at the scene in under five minutes and successfully confined the fire to one room, which appears to be a storeroom,” she said.
She reassured that the situation is now stable and under control, with no visible flames remaining.
ACFO1 Aggrey-Ghanson noted that three fire tenders were deployed, and the service is utilizing Parliament’s water source to replenish their equipment. Additional reinforcements were called in due to the initial intensity of the smoke.
When questioned about the safety of the building for staff, she indicated that it is not yet safe to resume normal operations until the fire is fully extinguished and the area is deemed secure.
The fire originated in a control room on the Mezzanine floor of the “Job 600” complex. Firefighters and officials are currently investigating the cause of the blaze.
This incident marks the third fire event in the 12-storey building. The previous fires include one in 2012 on the fifth floor during a major refurbishment of the structure.
Originally built by Ghana’s first president, Kwame Nkrumah, for the 1965 Organization of African Unity meeting—now the African Union—the tower now accommodates 252 offices and facilities for Members of Parliament and their staff following extensive refurbishment and expansion completed in 2015.
Meanwhile, a official statement from the Public Affairs Sub Division of Parliament explained that an office on the mezzanine floor of the Job 600 Building of Parliament caught fire on Tuesday,August 27. The fire was quickly contained by the Ghana National Fire Service.
Parliament will like to assure the public that there no casualties although the extent of damage is yet to be determined.
By Eugene Davis
