A fierce fire has destroyed two container shops at the busy Oduponkpehe Market in Kasoa, triggering unrest that led to an attack on personnel of the Ghana National Fire Service.

The blaze engulfed the container-based shops, reducing goods and property to ashes.

The cause of the fire is yet to be officially established.

Tensions flared when firefighters arrived at the scene, as some aggrieved youth accused the service of responding late to the emergency.

In protest, sections of the crowd reportedly pelted stones at the fire officers, damaging the windscreen of their fire tender and briefly disrupting efforts to control the flames.

The Weija Fire Station Administrator, DO Addo Danso, explained that fire tenders stationed at Kasoa and Budumburam were not operational at the time of the incident, necessitating the dispatch of a team from Weija.

He noted that the crew was met with hostility upon arrival.

Despite the confrontation, firefighters managed to bring the blaze under control.

No casualties were recorded, although the attack caused damage to the firefighting vehicle.

Meanwhile, the Awutu Senya East Municipal Chief Executive, Seth Serwono Banini, has condemned the assault on the fire officers and directed the Police to investigate both the cause of the fire and the attack on emergency responders.

He urged residents, particularly the youth, to refrain from attacking security personnel in the line of duty, warning that anyone found culpable would face the full rigours of the law.