The Kantamanto Market in the Accra Central Business District has been engulfed by fire, displacing hundreds of traders after nearly reducing the entire market to ashes.
Victims of the inferno had to scramble through the flames in an attempt to salvage their goods from the fire which was spreading rapidly across the market.
Eyewitnesses indicate the fire started Wednesday night, January 01, 2025, breaking out suddenly to catch many off guard. “We were asleep when we heard someone shouting. When we woke up, we saw that there was a fire outbreak,” one resident recounted.
The Ghana National Fire Service deployed 13 fire tenders from across the Greater Accra Region to douse the flames but still took several hours to bring the fire under control.
Fire Service spokesperson ADO1 Alex King Nartey, speaking to the media shared how the non availability of fire hydrants is making it difficult to put off the fire.
He explained that while firefighters initially managed to douse the fire, their efforts were hampered by the unavailability of a fire hydrant and the depletion of their water supply, leading to the fire reigniting.
He said no casualties were recorded despite the severity of the incident that destroyed properties running into millions of cedis.
However, ADO1 Nartey stated that extinguishing the fire could take approximately two days, given its intensity and the conditions on the ground.
Some residents had to team up with the traders and the fire officers to battle the inferno. This, however, resulted in large scale of destruction.
Many are appealing for immediate support to rebuild their businesses, while others are urging authorities to investigate the fire’s cause and improve market safety measures.
