Over 40 shops have been destroyed following a devastating fire that affected parts of the Kwadaso market in the Ashanti region.
The fire began in the early hours of Thursday, August 1, 2024.
Traders at the M Line of the market lamented the loss of millions of cedis to the fire, as their shops and contents, including fabrics, footwear, frozen foods, plantain, yam, and others, were destroyed.
“All our plantain have been burnt, we are at a great loss. About GHC4,000 to GHC5,000 worth of plantain. We bought the plantain on credit and we have to pay, we don’t know how to go about it. Those who gave us the planatian on credit will definitely come after us. They wouldn’t care. We really need help, myself and my colleagues. I’m 62 years old, this is the only business I can do, I don’t have the energy to do any other business”.
Another trader, Adwoa Connie, lamented, “I sell fabrics, shoes, hair scarves and other kinds of stuff. I took a loan, I had a call that all my fabrics were destroyed, and I’m appealing to the government to come to my aid so that I can restart the business, I’m 71 years old and my kids are in school, there is no help anywhere”.
“This is the only job I can do. I got new stock just Wednesday and everything is gone. I have kids too, the money lost could be over a million cedis. I’m pleading with the government to come to my aid,” she added in an interview monitored by The Ghana Report on Citi FM.
Meanwhile, the Public Relations Officer of the Ashanti Regional Fire Service indicated that the blaze was controlled after two fire appliances, a fire tender, and a water tanker were deployed to the scene.
“The fire affected 40 stalls and their contents, which include frozen foods, provisions and other stuff. There were no casualties. When we got there, the fire was well alight. As I indicated initially, it was well alight.
“The entrance of the market had some obstructions around it, so the doors could not open fully, and the gate not open fully. Access to the scene of the fire was a challenge because there were a lot of obstructions on the road, which also affected our response”.
This comes after a devastating fire outbreak razed a three-storey hostel facility known as Father Hostel at the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST).
The incident happened on Thursday, July 25, 2024.
Information gathered indicates that at least nine rooms have been reduced to rubble, with nine students losing all their belongings to the flames.
According to the victims, who are now without a place to stay, the fire started in a single room before quickly spreading throughout the building.
Eyewitnesses reported that there was a 30-minute delay in the response from the KNUST Fire Department, as their emergency number was initially unreachable.
Fortunately, no casualties were reported.
The remaining portion of the building has been deemed structurally inhabitable, leaving the affected students stranded.