An inferno that engulfed the Kantamanto Market in Accra on Thursday, January 2, has destroyed several shops and structures.
The fire which started around 1:00 a.m., burnt nearly the entire market displacing many traders.
It took the intervention of 13 fire tenders from the Ghana National Fire Service (GNFS) in the Greater Accra Region to bring the blaze under control.
According to one of the traders, the fire broke out suddenly, catching many off guard.
“We were asleep when we heard someone shouting. When we woke up, we saw that there was a fire outbreak,” he recounted.
The PRO of the GNFS, ADO1 Alex King Nartey described the situation as “very serious” while speaking to reporters.
He complained that while firefighters initially managed to douse the fire, their efforts were hampered by the unavailability of a fire hydrant at the Kantamanto and the depletion of their water supply.
He said this reignited the fire which could take approximately two days to douse, given its intensity and the conditions on the ground.
However, he said despite the severity of the fire, there had been no reports of severe casualties so far.
Meanwhile, they have launched an investigation to ascertain the cause of the fire.
