The cornmill that allegedly caused the fire outbreak
Property worth millions of Ghana cedis were yesterday, in the morning, reduced to ashes in an inferno which gutted parts of the Sekondi market in the Western Region.
DAILY GUIDE leant that affected traders cried helplessly as they witnessed the fire spreading from one shop to another destroying all their wares.
According to an eyewitness, shops with goods running into thousands of Ghana cedis were destroyed in the fire outbreak.
When DAILY GUIDE visited the scene it was revealed that eight shops were burnt to ashes.
It was a pitiable sight to behold as the women whose wares had been destroyed by the fire wailed uncontrollably. Some of them in apparent desperation threw themselves onto the ground screaming helplessly.
What really caused the fire outbreak in the market was immediately unknown but some people blamed it on a faulty meter being used by a corn mill operator.
A security man on duty at the market who gave his name as Kwesi Amissah told journalists that the fire was caused by a power outage which occurred around 3am yesterday.
According to Amissah, the corn mill operator in the market allegedly failed to put off his machine after the day’s work on Tuesday and it caught fire after the power was restored.
The timely intervention of personnel from the Ghana National Fire Service prevented a holocaust.
“Owing to the intensity of the fire, firemen from other stations in the metropolis have to be deployed to help bring the situation under control,” he said.
Madam Anita Mensah who claimed to be the superintendent of the Sekondi market was amazed because, according to her, she had not seen anything of the sort in the last 10 years.
She indicated that the damage caused runs into millions of Ghana cedis since the affected shops had their items completely burnt.
Some security personnel were on hand to provide maximum security and prevent looting by miscreants who wanted to take advantage of the situation.
From Emmanuel Opoku, Takoradi