The Ghana National Fire Service (GNFS) has blamed traders at Kantamanto for the extent of damage caused them in a fire outbreak on Tuesday.
According to the Deputy Public Relations Officer, DFO3 Desmond Ackah, firefighters arrived at the scene six minutes after the incident.
However, speaking on Adom FM’s Dwaso Nsem show, DFO3 Ackah indicated they could not access the market to put off the fire due to the congested nature of the place.
“They called us at 4:35 and at 4:41, we were already there and could have arrived in less than a minute because our headquarters is just a stone throw from Kantamanto.
“But the whole place has been blocked with foss, shoes and other items on sale. So we had to move around looking for an entry point and we should know the fire will continue to spread and not wait for us,” he said.
The inferno destroyed several shops and property worth thousands of cedis with the cause yet to be established.
The affected traders were along the Railway line and mostly deal in second-hand clothing with more than 2,000 shops destroyed.
Against this backdrop, he stated it is about time market managers put in place strict measures to avert such situations if they should happen in the area.
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The aftermath of Kantamanto market fire [Photos]
He also added it is about time government demolishes various markets in the capital and redevelop them as they are in a bad state.
“We have rolled out a task force and to train people on how to deploy firefighters and put off the fire when it starts,” he added.