In the Northern Region, a fire destroyed a vintage railway carriage that belonged to Ghanaian artist Ibrahim Mahama, dealing a setback to private initiatives to protect parts of the nation’s railway history.
The incident occurred during repair work on the aging rail infrastructure on Wednesday, February 18.
In a Facebook message the next day, Mr. Mahama revealed the loss, calling the occurrence “deeply distressing” and implying that it could have been prevented.
“Yesterday night, a tragic accident caused one of our trains to catch fire as a result of sparks from continuing maintenance.” I am absolutely positive that this could have been avoided with a lot more attention, he wrote. “Due to the rust it had accumulated over the years, this was one of the hardest objects to collect almost two years ago and the last in line for body repairs. Thankfully, nobody was hurt. We may be heartbroken, but our spirits are still soaring. Our sincere gratitude goes out to the National Fire service for their response and to every member of our community in the area. In this dry season, please exercise caution.
The train was among the first in Ghana’s railway rolling stock, which has since been retired from service. Due to severe corrosion, it has been waiting for structural repair ever since it was purchased almost two years prior, after what Mr. Mahama described as a difficult procedure.
Although the fire destroyed the carriage, there were no fatalities. Even though the loss was emotionally overwhelming, the artist said he was relieved that nobody was hurt.
He thanked citizens in the nearby community for their support throughout the crisis and praised the prompt reaction of the Ghana National Fire Service.
Mr. Mahama warned the public to take preventative steps, especially during repair work that involves heat or sparks, as the fire occurs during the dry season, which is a period of increased susceptibility to outbreaks.
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