The Ghana National Fire Service (GNFS) has attributed the devastating fire that swept through the Kasoa New Market to a possible electrical fault, following preliminary investigations into the incident.
The fire broke out at about 4:00 p.m. on Tuesday and destroyed more than 300 stalls, with traders losing goods worth thousands of cedis.
This is the second major fire to hit the same section of the market within a year, raising fresh concerns about safety conditions at the busy trading centre.
Speaking to the media at the scene, Central Regional Fire Service Commander, ACFO II Merinda Atigah-Mensah, said early findings point to an electrical power issue as the likely source of the blaze.
“According to my men, when they arrived, they detected an electrical fault. When we went to the CCTV footage, it also showed that the source of the fire was electrical power,” she explained.
However, she was quick to caution that investigations are still ongoing. “That may not be the full cause of the fire. There might be a lot of issues, so we are continuing investigations to know the actual cause and also to strategise the market properly,” ACFO II Atigah-Mensah added.
Some traders have accused the Fire Service of responding late, but the Commander rejected those claims, citing several challenges that affected firefighting efforts. She disclosed that although the fire reportedly started around 4:00 p.m., the Service was not alerted until almost an hour later. “The people were here, but there was no corporate service. It was almost 5:00 before they called the firemen,” she said.
She also pointed to logistical difficulties at the scene, including resistance from some people, problems handling fire hoses, and inadequate water supply. “There is no high ground around, so we found it difficult. That is why we called other sister services to come and assist,” she noted.
The GNFS says it will continue investigations while engaging market authorities to improve safety measures and prevent a recurrence of such incidents at the Kasoa New Market.
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