Story: Kwadwo Owusu Aduomi

The Committee tasked to investigate the Kejetia New Market fire has submitted its report to the Kumasi Metropolitan Assembly.

The committee in its among other things recommended that the epicentre of the fire should be closed indefinitely to make way for further assessment of the damage caused by the inferno and also check the integrity of structures there.

Among the key findings of the committee, it disclosed that against the measures and fire regulations instituted in the market, “there were gas cylinders in the area of the fire that should not have been there”.

It lauded the rescue services provided by emergency service providers including the Ghana National Service and intimated that though they did their best in fighting the inferno, the fire still “caused considerable damage to the structure of the fire-affected area of the building. The flames destroyed goods and properties whilst the upper area of the market structure building suffered from significant smoke staining to the soffit of the roof covering.”

The report also disclosed that the incident damaged about 42 shops out of which 12 recorded severe damages.

Parts of the Kejetia New Market went up in flames on Wednesday, March 15 destroying properties worth thousands of Ghana Cedis.

A Committee was constituted on Friday, March 17 after a visit by a delegation from the Local Government Ministry led by Osei Bonsu Amoah, same day the  Ghana National Fire Service  also commenced investigations into the fire incident.

Included in the Committee’s key recommendations are; a renewal of the building permit (mandatory), renewal of the fire permit (mandatory), and renewal of the EPA’s permit (mandatory).