Fire guts Kantamanto Market in Accra

Accra, Dec 30, GNA - Fire gutted the Kantamanto Market, destroying goods worth several million of cedis on late Wednesday. An eyewitness told the Ghana News Agency (GNA) that the fire was spotted raging the market at about 2245 hours on Wednesday and a distress call was made to the Ghana National Fire Service, which responded immediately.

Mr Gabby Michael Annan, Division Officer of the Ghana National Fire Service and Group Officer Justina S. Lamptey who led a team of Fire service personnel to extinguish the fire told the GNA that their initial effort to control the fire was hampered by the inaccessibility of the road to the market.

Mr Annan said due to the intensity of the fire, Accra City Station had to mobilise tenders from all other stations in the capital to fight it.

The Tenders were from Industrial Area, Dansoman, Nungua, Fire Service Headquarters, Trade Fair Centre, and Amasaman. Mr Annan said the service would launch a full-scale investigation into the possibly cause of the fire.

He said it took the personnel about three hours to control the fire, and that had it not been for their quick intervention, the fire would have caused more havoc.

Some of the traders, whose stalls were being razed to the ground, broke down in tears and looked on helplessly.

Others whose stalls were not immediately affected attempted to break through the Police/Military barricade to carting their goods away but were prevented, as the security officers could not identify a trader from a potential thief.

The large Police and Military presence prevented thieves who usually take advantage of such disasters situations to steal items. When GNA visited the scene the whole vicinity was engulfed with thick black smoke, whiles some traders and spectators have invaded the area.

The Inspector General of Police, Nana Owusus-Nsiah and the Greater Accra Regional Commander of the Ghana National Fire Service, Assistant Chief Fire Officer, Samuel A. Yankey visited the scene to assist in the operations.