A devastating midnight fire has razed Charkieh Plastics and Packaging, a 40-year-old plastic manufacturing company in Accra, reducing the multi-million-dollar facility to rubble and plunging more than 300 workers into sudden unemployment.
According to eyewitnesses, the inferno began around 3:00 a.m. on Saturday, after a nearby transformer supplying power to the facility reportedly emitted sparks before bursting into flames. The fire quickly engulfed Cay Jay Plastics, a local subsidiary that processes plastic pellets into reusable products, before spreading through the entire facility.
Company Reduced to Ashes Despite Hours of Firefighting
Firefighters from the Ghana National Fire Service (GNFS) responded promptly to distress calls but faced enormous challenges due to the facility’s highly flammable materials. The absence of fire hydrants in the enclave meant multiple fire tenders had to travel long distances, sometimes as far as Kaneshie, to refill their tanks, slowing the firefighting efforts.
To support the emergency response, the Weija–Gbawe Municipal Assembly released two of its water tankers, originally assigned to road improvement projects, to help contain the blaze. An excavator was also deployed to create access routes for fire tenders to reach the most combustible zones.
Accra Regional Fire Officer, ACFO II Rashid Kwame Nisawu, said the intensity of the fire was fueled by the plastic raw materials stored in the facility, creating an extremely dangerous environment for firefighters.
Authorities Call for Stricter Safety Compliance
Weija–Gbawe Municipal Chief Executive, Felix Odartey Lamptey, emphasized the urgent need for companies to secure proper permits and install fire hydrants in industrial zones to prevent similar disasters.
He warned that industrial enclaves without safety infrastructure pose a major risk to lives, properties, and jobs.
Management Appeals for Government Assistance
The Managing Director of Charkieh Plastics and Packaging Company Limited, Hajia Gloria Amenu, confirmed that although the company was insured, the scale of destruction means central government support will be critical for reconstruction.
She added that the company may be forced to lay off many workers if rebuilding efforts do not begin immediately.
“We are devastated. This is a forty-year investment gone overnight. We will need government intervention to restore operations and protect jobs,” she said.
Hundreds of Jobs at Risk as Investigations Begin
Saturday’s inferno has reignited conversations about industrial safety, compliance, and the need for coordinated emergency response systems. With more than 300 livelihoods disrupted, stakeholders are calling for a rapid investigation and support to help the company recover.
Authorities are currently probing the cause of the fire, though preliminary accounts point to the failed transformer.
