News
Massive fire guts Duraplast factory at Avenor
- /home/u249204778/domains/spectator.com.gh/public_html/wp-content/plugins/mvp-social-buttons/mvp-social-buttons.php on line 27
https://spectator.com.gh/wp-content/uploads/2026/10/WhatsApp-Image-2026-10-01-at-15.39.32.jpeg&description=Massive fire guts Duraplast factory at Avenor', 'pinterestShare', 'width=750,height=350'); return false;" title="Pin This Post">
- Share
- Tweet /home/u249204778/domains/spectator.com.gh/public_html/wp-content/plugins/mvp-social-buttons/mvp-social-buttons.php on line 72
https://spectator.com.gh/wp-content/uploads/2026/10/WhatsApp-Image-2026-10-01-at-15.39.32.jpeg&description=Massive fire guts Duraplast factory at Avenor', 'pinterestShare', 'width=750,height=350'); return false;" title="Pin This Post">
A massive fire outbreak swept through the North Industrial Area at Avenor in Accra in the early hours of Thursday, October 1, 2026, destroying properties and spreading into the premises of plastics manufacturing firm, Duraplast Ghana.
The blaze, which reportedly started around 7:30 a.m. at Kofikrom, near the ECG Avenor office, quickly intensified, sending thick plumes of smoke across the industrial enclave and forcing residents, traders and workers to flee.
Firefighters from the Ghana National Fire Service (GNFS) are at the scene with multiple fire engines working to bring the fire under control, but operations have been hampered by poor access. Eyewitnesses say cargo trucks and the absence of accessible roads blocked routes to the fire scene, while large quantities of plastic materials in the area fuelled the blaze.
The fire has since spread into the Duraplast factory, destroying its entire pipe stock and water storage tanks.
Marketing Manager of Duraplast, Emmanuel Donkor, who arrived at the facility around 6:45 a.m., said the fire started from illegal structures behind the company’s wall.
“The challenge currently here is the illegal structures here; that is where the fire started from. It started from the illegal structures just behind our wall,” he said.
Mr. Donkor said two fire tenders initially arrived but struggled to contain the blaze. He also disclosed that the company’s fire hydrants were empty at the time of the incident.
“But all our hydrants (at Duraplast) were also empty,” he said, adding that the company had to contact Ghana Water for emergency support. 03c9
He described the losses as enormous, stating: “All our pipes have been destroyed”.
The military has since intervened to support firefighting efforts. Commanding Officer of the 48 Engineer Regiment, Lieutenant Colonel Frank Osei Amponsah, said personnel cleared temporary structures blocking access routes to allow fire engines to move closer to the affected areas.
Meanwhile, two people, including a two-week-old baby, are feared dead following the outbreak, though the GNFS says reports of fatalities remain unverified.
“We can’t confirm any dead person at this stage. Any other reports you are hearing are hearsay,” ADO1 Alex King Nartey of the GNFS Public Relations team said.
Eyewitnesses have suggested the fire may have been triggered by a gas cylinder explosion. According to one account, a woman had been cooking for her children and left the cylinder under the supervision of a child, who allegedly increased the gas flow, causing an explosion.
The GNFS says investigations will be conducted to establish the cause of the fire after containment operations are completed.
By Edem Mensah-Tsotorme
Political Scientist Dr. Kwasi Amakye-Boateng has argued that the New Patriotic Party (NPP) faces a tougher task ahead of the 2028 elections because of what he described as improvements in Ghana’s economy under President John Dramani Mahama.
Speaking on Precise FM on Friday October 2, 2026, the Senior KNUST Lecturer said Mahama had performed creditably on inflation and the exchange rate, underscoring the need for strong opposition leadership to make the NPP attractive to Ghanaians through new national leaders.
He said the NPP’s attempts to attribute the economic improvement mainly to the government’s GoldBod policies did not fully answer why the party itself did not achieve similar results when it was in government.
Dr. Amakye-Boateng holds the view that the NPP has “extra work to do” if it wants to present a convincing alternative to voters in 2028, pointing to why Awentami Paul Afoko should be the best person to be elected as National Chairman.
Dr. Amakye-Boateng also linked that challenge to Mahamudu Bawumia’s record as Vice President under the Akufo-Addo administration.
According to him, Dr. Bawumia could face questions about any new economic proposals he presents during the next election cycle because he served in the previous government.
“
Bawumia’s integrity has been on the line because he participated in Akufo-Addo’s government,” he said.
He argued that if Bawumia campaigns on policies that differ from those implemented under the previous administration, voters could ask why he did not pursue those policies while in government.
“If Bawumia campaigns and tells the electorate about new policies he intends to bring, that would be compromised because people would ask him, ‘Why didn’t you do that when you were in the erstwhile NPP government?’” he said.
For Dr. Amakye-Boateng, the NPP’s response should begin with a change in its internal leadership and identity.
He said a new leadership structure could allow the party to distance itself from its previous record and present a fresh political message to voters.
“With a new identity starting with the election of Awentami Paul Afoko, then they would be on a new trajectory that would appeal to the masses,” he said.
By: Jacob Aggrey
President John Dramani Mahama has described the Global Mercy hospital ship as a “floating vessel of true mercy and humanism” after touring the world’s largest civilian hospital ship docked at the Tema Port.
In a post after his visit, President Mahama said he was deeply moved by his interactions with fellow Ghanaians undergoing life-changing treatments on board the ship, including children with orthopaedic conditions, many of whom had waited years to receive care.
The President welcomed the Mercy Ships team back to Ghana for their fifth mission since 1991.
“In a world where countries and individuals are increasingly focused on self-interest, Mercy Ships remains a floating vessel of true mercy and humanism,” Mahama stated.
He noted that the impact of Mercy Ships in Ghana is remarkable, adding that during its 10-month stay, the mission will continue to provide direct patient care while training local health workers alongside its international medical team.
Sharing a lighter moment from the tour, the President said as someone who had never sailed on a ship before, he expected to be walking like a sailor.
“I was pleasantly surprised by how steady and stable the ship is. It felt just like any modern hospital on land,” he said.
President Mahama expressed his gratitude to the dedicated medical crew, volunteers, donors, local partners, and friends of Mercy Ships, assuring them that this will not be their last mission to Ghana.
“My sincere gratitude to the dedicated medical crew, volunteers, donors, local partners, and friends of Mercy Ships. As I told them today, this is not the first time they have been here, and it will certainly not be the last.”
He reiterated his administration’s commitment to expanding access to quality healthcare for all Ghanaians, despite appreciating humanitarian support.
According to him, “While we appreciate humanitarian support, my administration remains firmly committed to expanding access to quality healthcare for all Ghanaians. We are expanding free primary health care, strengthening the National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS), investing in hospitals and health workers, and using the Ghana Medical Trust Fund to ease the burden of serious non-communicable diseases on families.”
“To the crew of the Global Mercy, Ghana says thank you,” Mahama added.
By Edem Mensah-Tsotorme
