Some destroyed equipment
An eight-year-old girl has died following a fire outbreak at the Dansoman market, which destroyed several wooden structures and shops.
According to an official update from the Ghana National Fire Service (GNFS) the fire started a little after midnight and was first reported at 00:02 hrs.
Personnel from the Dansoman fire station arrived two minutes later and found the market ablaze.
Eight additional fire engines were dispatched from stations including the Industrial Area, Ministries, National Headquarters, Madina, Weija, Anyaa, and Accra City, with two water tankers from the Accra Metropolitan Assembly also joining the operation.
Firefighters battled the flames from several directions, working together to stop the blaze from overrunning the rest of the market.
The GNFS said the fire was confined at 01:51 hrs and brought under control at 03:03 hrs, after which overhaul operations began to eliminate remaining hotspots.
The eight-year-old girl, who was trapped inside one of the affected shops, could not be rescued in time. She died in the fire, and her remains were later handed over to the police for further investigation, fire officials said.
Firefighters were able to save several adjoining shops and their contents from destruction, whilst several others were destroyed.
Authorities say the market area has now been fully secured, but assessments of the damage are ongoing. The GNFS says the cause of the fire is not yet known, and investigations are underway.
BY Florence Asamoah