Kejetia: over 30 shops affected by fire

Fire gutted parts of the New Kejetia Market in Kumasi yesterday, with several shops and properties getting destroyed in the process. It took the personnel from the Ghana National Fire Service hours to bring down the inferno.

Reports this morning state that the market will be temporarily closed for investigations to be carried out to ascertain the cause o the fire. The fire which started on the first floor where combustibles are sold affected numerous shops at the market.

Investigations have since begun into the cause of the fire. That has prompted the need to shut down the market for half a day to pave way for the exercise.

Frank Duodu, the Ashanti Regional Director for the National Disaster Management Organization, NADMO has urged traders to exercise patience and allow fire investigators to probe the incident before the market is reopened.

“Activities at the market cannot be carried out today until 12pm. That is what we are recommending for proper works will be carried out so I am not sure business can go on in the early hours,” he stated.

“Averagely, we have counted about 33 shops that have been affected. Investigation is underway. It started right after we arrived here. So, when we are done, we will let the public know. Just as we have been educating every now and then, the public should immediately call as soon as there is an outbreak because even with this incident, the call came in from our National Headquarters in Accra before we were able to dispatch when we are just here.”