The popular Kantamanto Market in Accra, the major hub for secondhand clothing and other wares, was on Tuesday evening gutted by a yet to be explained fire outbreak.
As at noon yesterday, the fire, which had largely been subdued by firefighters from the Ghana National Fire Service (GNFS), had started showing signs of starting again.
Over a thousand bales of used imported clothing were consumed by the fire—dashing the hopes of traders to make Yuletide sales.
Also affected were tailors specializing in alteration services, their sewing machines having been completely gutted. These tailors do alteration on some of the imported secondhand clothing.
This latest fire outbreak is one of a series to visit some parts of the nation’s capital.
Tongues are wagging as to whether or not the fire was not an act of arson. Some social media posts suggest that the Kantamanto fire was an act of arson.
The Kantamanto Market shares a wall with the Liberty Branch of the GCB which was also torched a few days before the December 7 polls.
The fire, according to non-GNFS sources, could have started from the general area of the Agbogbloshie Market bordering the Kantamanto Market.
Another source pointed at an electrical problem as being the cause of the fire.
One of the victims took issues with the GNFS because according to her “when they were called they claimed their hoses could not get to the fire. Some victims of the fire are widows struggling to make a living.”
Later, the GNFS Head of Public Affairs Relations, Divisional Officer I Ellis Robbinson Okoe, said “we had a distress call at 11:33 pm that there was a fire at Kantamanto Fos-line. We dispatched the first tender which got there at 11:40pm.”
The fire, he explained, was extensive and so eight out of the tenders in the GNFS fleet at the fire headquarters alongside three tankers were deployed. The Armed Forces, Prisons and the police provided protection, he said.
Continuing, he pointed out that “the fire was brought under control around 5:00 am in the morning. Millions of Cedis worth of secondhand clothing, sewing machines and irons were destroyed as a result.”
Although there was no casualty, he was quick to add that at the initial stages of the fire a scavenger who ventured into the fire scene to pick some metals collapsed and sustained bruises on his legs.
Investigations, he said, had begun into the cause of the fire.
Veep’s Visit
Vice President Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia who is acting as President in the absence of President Akufo-Addo rushed to the fire scene to commiserate with the victims.
The inferno was still raging with fire fighters still on hand battling the fire when the Vice President arrived at the scene and he expressed shock at the extent of damage caused.
So far, 2,592 traders have been identified as those directly affected and lost their livelihoods and capital investments.
The Vice President has since arranged a meeting with the leadership of the market in his office on Friday, December 18, to discuss the way forward.
This is to enable government provide humanitarian and business support to the affected traders, and also reconstruct the market.
Dr. Bawumia however, promised a full scale investigation into the cause of the fire outbreak.
Meanwhile, some affected traders who spoke to the media said they suspected an arson because some people allegedly announced before the just-ended 2020 general elections that they would burn the down market.
The Vice President was accompanied by the National Security Minister, Albert Kan Dapaah, Minister of the Interior, Ambrose Dery, Greater Accra Minister Ishmael Ashitey, Mayor of Accra, Nii Adjei Sowah among other dignitaries.
Koforidua, the Eastern regional capital, also recorded a fire outbreak.
Already, the Pedestrian Shopping Mall near Kwame Nkrumah Circle in Accra had been gutted.
By A.R. Gomda & Charles Takyi-Boadu