Wa Market is the latest to be gutted by fire
- Fire has ravaged parts of the Wa Daily Market in the Upper West Region
- Eyewitnesses claim it was caused by a trader cooking
- Ghana has recorded various market fires since the year started
Some Traders at the Wa Daily Market have lost their properties worth thousands of Ghana Cedis as a result of fire that gutted some stalls during the wee hours of the morning. Items that got burnt in to ashes included electrical appliances, food items, gas cylinders and toiletries.
Though personnel of the Ghana national fire service who help to douse the fire are still yet to come out with their report as to what might cause the fire, eye witnesses claimed that the fire started from fire woods that was not was not completely doused after cooking.
Source: Facebook
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Mystery market fires
The Ghana Union of Traders Association suspects arson as the main cause of various market fires in the country. In December alone, 5 major market fires have been recorded with causes scattered.
Addressing the media, President of GUTA, Dr. Joseph Obeng demanded full security protection of market centers. He also demands the modernization of various market centers to suit trading activity.
“We need a refurbishment of our markets. Politicians, we have had enough of these market fires. To those burning the markets in the name of politics, go burn your properties first before preying on innocent market men and women,” he fumed.
Already, the Mayor of Accra, Mohammed Adjei Sowah, has assured traders at the Kaneshie Market that the Assembly will make alternatives for them after some shops within the Kaneshie Market Complex were razed down by fire last night.
According the mayor, 9 shops within the market were badly affected. Mohammed Adjei Sowah indicated also that government will support those traders with some capital to rebuild.
“Procurement processes have been concluded for a complete rewiring of the various markets in Accra starting in February,” he stated.
A number of markets including Odawna and Kantamanto have all been gutted by fire over the last few weeks, Mohammed Adjei Sowah has assured that investigations are currently ongoing to ascertain the causes.
The outbreak happened at dawn with several wares feared to have been lost to the inferno. This is the first time in years for this prime market to catch fire – considering the tight safety protocol and market surveillance there.
This brings to a total of 5 market fires in Ghana in December alone. So far, the cause of the fire is unknown. But traders suspect arson.
Another fire outbreak was earlier reported at the Asankragwa Main Market in the Amenfi West Municipality of the Western Region which razed down four stalls and other properties worth thousands of cedis on Friday night.
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The disaster, according to eyewitnesses, was brought under control after two hours by residents. Some of the eyewitnesses who have been speaking to journalists said the Ghana Fire Service in the Municipality looked on helpless as the fire razed down the stores as a result of a broken-down fire tender for the past six months.
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