Fire At Kotokuraba Market

FIRE GUTTED the Kotokuraba market in Cape Coast around 5:30 pm on Sunday, resulting in four stores razing down completely.

The lorry stations affected were the Agona Swedru, Assin Fosu, and Mankessim stations.

The stores which were totally burnt were earlier on filled with rice, sugar, drinks and bales of second hand clothing running into thousands of cedis.

It took the intervention of the Fire Service personnel to douse the razing flames in order to save other stores from being affected.

Three fire tenders were dispatched to the scene due to the gravity of the fire.

The Assistant Chief Fire Officer, Augustine Dankwa, who lead the team of fire officers to the scene said the cause of the fire is not yet known, and that an investigation will be conducted to ascertain the cause.

He stated that the Sunday market which was introduced in the metropolis about two years ago, made it difficult for the fire officers to get access to the area since the whole place was congested.

When DAILY GUIDE got to the scene, traders whose stores had been razed down by the inferno were weeping uncontrollably, compelling onlookers and sympathizers to console them.

In an interview with some traders at the market, they expressed concern about the recent spate of fire outbreaks in the country commenting that the situation had reclined drastically for some time now but did not understand why the menace has reared its ugly head again.

They have therefore called for the intensification of education on the causes and prevention of fire, so as to educate people on what to do in case of a fire outbreak.

This is about the second time the Kotokuraba market has been gutted by fire.

From Sarah Afful, Cape Coast