The police in the Ashanti Regional are said to have begun thorough investigations to arrest a group of people that who allegedly set the Kumasi Central Market on fire.
The Wednesday dawn blaze, which occurred near the ‘18 Mu’ area of the market, resulted in the burning of diapers, singlets and other items which were being kept in the affected shops.
The timely intervention of personnel of the Ghana National Fire Service proved vital as the inferno was quenched on time, thereby averting more havoc.
Semekor Fiadzor, the Ashanti Regional Fire Commander who visited the fire scene Wednesday morning, suspected arson.
He stated that the fire men picked hardcore evidence such as matches and traces of inflammable items like petrol, which confirmed his suspicion of arson.
“We saw evidence of petrol and matches at the affected stores and this and other evidences clearly prove that arsonists set the market on fire,” he noted on Nhyira FM.
Mr. Fiadzor disclosed that his outfit had since reported the case to the police for investigation to help arrest the culprits to face punitive action.
According to him, the fire fighters were convinced that some people tried to intentionally set the market on fire, adding that the firemen had handed their evidence to the police.
Mr. Fiadzor expressed the hope that the security agencies would apprehend the suspected arsonists as soon as possible, to the face the law to serve as deterrent to other unscrupulous people.
He bemoaned the frequent fire outbreaks at the Kumasi Central Market in recent years, noting that the bad trend influenced the firemen to implement policies to stop the fires.
He said the fire fighters had set up a fire taskforce and also placed a fire tender at the market.
FROM I.F. Joe Awuah Jnr., Kumasi