Three people, including a journalist, are reported to be in critical condition following a violent confrontation between personnel of the Ghana National Fire Service (GNFS) and civilians during a fire outbreak at the Kasoa New Market in the Awutu Senya East Municipality.
The incident occurred while firefighters were working to contain a major blaze that had engulfed sections of the busy market.
According to eyewitnesses, tensions flared when some local youth joined efforts to help control the fire, while others recorded the operation on their mobile phones.
Media report from the scene, said officers from the Kasoa Fire Station allegedly assaulted some of the civilians, including individuals who were filming the firefighting exercise.
The situation reportedly escalated after an altercation broke out between fire service personnel and traders affected by the blaze.
Among those allegedly attacked was Samuel Addo, a journalist with the Class Media Group, who was reportedly assaulted while recording a confrontation between firefighters and traders. The clash quickly degenerated into a scuffle, resulting in serious injuries to three people.
The injured journalist later spoke to the media, recounting his ordeal and condemning the alleged assault on media practitioners carrying out their lawful duties.
The incident has since sparked public outrage, with civil society groups, media advocates and members of the public calling for a thorough investigation into the conduct of the fire service personnel involved.
There have also been renewed calls for the protection of journalists and civilians during emergency operations.
As of the time of filing this report, the Ghana National Fire Service had yet to issue an official statement on the incident.
Source: www.kumasimail.com
