Two children, including a two-week-old baby and a toddler, are feared dead after an early-morning fire swept through the North Industrial Area at Avenor in Accra on Thursday, October 1, 2026, spreading into the Duraplast factory and consuming homes and properties as firefighters struggled to reach the scene due to the absence of accessible roads.
The blaze, which began in the early hours of Thursday, has been burning for several hours despite efforts by the Ghana National Fire Service (GNFS) to bring it under control. MyJoyOnline understands that the parents of the two children were unable to reach them through the flames to save their lives, though the deaths are yet to be officially confirmed.
A Community and Industry Engulfed
The fire broke out at Kofikrom within the North Kaneshie Industrial Area enclave, close to the Duraplast factory and near the ECG Avenor office. It subsequently spread into the Duraplast factory, which manufactures plastic products, intensifying the blaze and sending thick plumes of black smoke billowing into the sky.
Residents and traders were forced to flee for their lives as the intense heat engulfed the area. Vendors were seen hurriedly carting their goods away, while others who live in kiosks in the vicinity rushed out after spotting the flames early. An eyewitness speaking on Adom FM’s Dwaso Nsem reported seeing a woman who had been burnt, saying she lived at the location with a group of people.
Photographs and videos taken from the windows of the Multimedia Group’s offices show flames and smoke rising from the area, which is home to both businesses and residents. Residents say the fire is consuming their properties, including livestock, with the intensity of the flames leaving them unable to intervene or retrieve their belongings.
Despite the intensity of the fire, electricity supply to the area had not been cut off as of the time of reporting. Security presence in the area has been increased as authorities work to prevent further spread.
Cause Suspected to Be Gas Cylinder Explosion
The fire is suspected to have been triggered by an exploding gas cylinder, according to an eyewitness. An eyewitness who identified himself as Mohammed said a woman had been cooking for her children before leaving the gas cylinder in the care of one of them.
“Some woman was cooking for her children and she went out and one of the children increased it and then the cylinder exploded,” he said. The fire reportedly spread rapidly as thick smoke engulfed the surrounding area.
The exact cause of the fire and the circumstances surrounding the reported deaths have yet to be officially established. Authorities are expected to investigate the incident to determine what caused the fire and establish the full extent of the casualties.
Firefighters Hampered by Lack of Access Roads
A JoyNews reporter at the scene, Stephen Mensah, reported that firefighters arrived in the area but faced difficulties reaching the affected properties because there were no accessible roads leading to the site. Crews are continuing efforts to bring the blaze under control.
The accessibility challenge is a recurring problem for the GNFS. In January 2026, the Service disclosed that late reporting, poor access routes, gas explosions, and illegal electrical connections significantly hampered efforts to contain a fire outbreak behind the VVIP Station at Kwame Nkrumah Circle in Accra, which destroyed more than 50 mobile phone shops.
Speaking on Breakfast Daily on Channel One TV at the time, the Head of Public Affairs of the GNFS, DOII Desmond Ackah, said limited accessibility to the affected area was a major setback. “We had a difficult time even gaining access to where the fire was actually raging. In professional firefighting, when you don’t have direct access, you have to lay more hoses to reach the source of the fire,” he said.
He also noted that the presence of numerous gas cylinders and stoves within the shops worsened the situation, as intermittent explosions intensified the fire. “When there is an explosion, the combustible gases are thrown far, and the unburnt gases are also ignited, spreading the fire. And in fighting such fires, it becomes very difficult to really contain them within a very small space,” he stated.
Illegal and haphazard electrical connections were also cited as another major challenge. “It became apparent that about 10 shops could be connected to just a meter. And they were just connecting the wires anyhow. Initially, it created some form of electrocution for our people until such a time we had to step in to isolate power from that area,” DOII Ackah said.
He further disclosed that the first and most critical challenge was the delayed call-up to the Fire Service, which allowed the fire to escalate before firefighters arrived. “The first challenge was the late call-up. Anytime we have received late calls to emergencies, by the time we get there, things would have degenerated into what we don’t want to witness,” he added.
A Pattern of Industrial Fires in the Area
The North Industrial Area has a history of significant fire outbreaks. In January 2015, a fire destroyed a warehouse of Melcom Limited’s electronic assembling plant at the North Industrial Area in Accra, destroying items worth millions of cedis. In February 2013, a fire gutted Deluxy Paints, a paint dealership in the same area, with the Fire Service struggling to put out the flames.
More recently, in September 2026, the GNFS attributed delays in firefighting operations at the Circle–Odawna fire scene to severe accessibility challenges caused by flooding in the area. The Service has repeatedly called for improved road networks and better urban planning to enable emergency responders to reach fire scenes quickly.
What Happens Next
Firefighters remain on the ground battling the blaze, and the situation remains serious as the fire continues to gain ground. Authorities are expected to investigate the incident to determine the exact cause of the fire and establish the full extent of the casualties and damage.
The Accra Mayor, Michael Kpakpo Allotey, has reportedly responded to the incident and plans to clear the area within 24 hours, with more fire tenders and tankers called in to manage the fire.
With two children feared dead, homes and businesses destroyed, and firefighters still struggling to contain the flames, the Avenor fire stands as the latest reminder of the gaps in Ghana’s emergency response infrastructure—and the human cost of inaccessible roads and delayed reporting.
