Seven shops with goods estimated at GH¢2,709,447.00 were razed to ashes when the “Kejetia Market” in the Wa Municipality of the Upper West Region caught fire on Saturday.
According to the Public Relations Officer of the Ghana National Fire Service (GNFS) in the region, Divisional Officer Grade III (DOIII) Martin Bakobie, the GNFS received a distress call at about 1:10 am Saturday that there was fire outbreak at the market.
He stated that although the GNFS personnel encountered difficulty accessing the market, they were able to douse the fire on time to prevent it from escalating.
DOIII Bakobie said “The chief of security at the market, Mr Nayaru Mahamud, who called the GNFS, said he believed the fire started from a pile of firewood from a food vendor at the market.”
He said the chief of security indicated that the vendor failed to quench the firewood thoroughly before adding it to other pile of wood after cooking on Friday, resulting in the fire outbreak.
DOIII Bakobie said Mahamud called on other people to help douse the fire with water, and also called GNFS personnel, but due to lack of access route, when they finally reached the market 7 shops were already burnt.
He commended Mr Mahamud for detecting the fire, and said the GNFS had prior to the incident, trained security men at the market on fire detection and reporting.
DOIII Bakobie said the fire outbreak occurred two days after the GNFS conducted fire audit assessment at the market, and called on the municipal assembly to tackle the problem of congestion there.
Meanwhile, the Wa Municipal Chief Executive, Alhaji Issahaku Tahiru Moomin, visited the fire victims, who lost their goods and shops, and assured them of the assembly’s support.
FROM LYDIA DARLINGTON FORDJOUR, WA
