A fire outbreak has swept through the Kpone Central Market in the Greater Accra Region, destroying several shops and leaving many market women counting heavy losses.
The fire, which reportedly broke out late on Monday night, razed multiple stalls and shops, consuming goods that traders depended on for their daily livelihoods.
Madam Christiana Ablade, the Queen Mother of the Kpone Central Market, told the Ghana News Agency (GNA) that she received a distress call in the early hours of Tuesday informing her that the market was on fire.
She said that upon rushing to the scene, she found that several shops had already been burnt beyond recovery, with traders losing foodstuffs, hair products, fruits and various household items.
Madam Ablade said the incident had plunged many of the affected traders into sudden hardship, as most of them had taken loans to stock their businesses and now lacked the capital to restart.
She expressed concern about the security situation at the market, noting that although three security guards were assigned to the area, they were inadequate to effectively monitor and protect the market, particularly at night.
She appealed to the relevant authorities to strengthen security at the market and provide immediate assistance to the affected traders to enable them to recover from the setback.
Confirming the incident, Madam Regina Amanquah, the Assembly Member for the area, said information available to her indicated that the fire started at about 23:30 hours on Tuesday.
She said personnel of the Ghana National Fire Service battled the blaze for several hours before bringing it under control.
Madam Amanquah disclosed that more than 12 shops were destroyed in the fire, in addition to several wares sold on tables within the market.
She noted that the losses went beyond physical structures, as the incident had taken a heavy emotional toll on the victims.
The Assembly Member said one of the affected traders collapsed upon realising that all her goods had been destroyed, particularly as many of the traders had taken loans and were now unable to repay them.
The cause of the fire is yet to be officially determined.
