Story: News Desk

Fire has gutted several shops at CMB, behind Kantamanto in Accra, destroying goods worth millions of Ghana cedis.

The cause of the fire which started around 5:00 am on Sunday is currently unknown. Firefighters from the Ghana National Fire Service (GNFS) were quickly dispatched to the scene, but the fire had already spread to several shops before they arrived.

Several flammable objects were found at the scene of the fire, according to ADO1 Alex Nartey, a Public Relations Officer of the GNFS.

By the time the fire was put out, several shops had been completely destroyed. Some of the traders at the market expressed their frustration and disappointment at the incident. Many of them stated that they had lost everything.

The GNFS has  advised  traders to be careful with electrical appliances and to avoid storing flammable materials in their shops.

This is the second major fire incident at the CMB market in recent years. In 2020, a fire destroyed over 200 shops at the market.

Meanwhile Vice President Dr Mahamudu  Bawumia says the country lost in excess of GH¢64 million to 6,796 fire outbreaks last year alone.

Those incidents, he said, resulted in 50 deaths and 241 injuries.

He described the situation as unacceptable and one that “we must all come together and find a solution to”.

In that regard, Dr Bawumia said, the GNFS would receive 200 rapid intervention vehicles from the government before the end of the year to augment its fleet of operational vehicles.

He said a prototype of the vehicles was already in the country, and that the rest would also be assembled in the country.

Dr Bawumia, who was addressing the graduation parade of the Cadet Course Intake 23 of the Ghana National Fire Service (GNFS) at the Fire Academy and Training School at James Town in Accra last Friday, indicated that fire outbreaks had dealt a big blow to many individuals, organisations, institutions and even the government.

The repercussions of these losses, especially with the loss of human lives, he said, had been dire and still difficult to grapple with.

He said the fight for fire safety was far from over as it required continuous attention and a concerted effort to consolidate the gains so far made and improve upon their achievements.