A fire outbreak in the early hours of Thursday destroyed about eight shops at the Tema Community One Market, Mangoase Lane.
The incident, which occurred at about 02:00 hours, was doused by the personnel of the Ghana National Fire Service, who responded swiftly to distress calls to the station. Some items burnt included wigs, sewing machines, clothes, and furniture, among others.
Mr Kwaku Alebpoorin, a market caretaker at the market and eyewitness, said he saw smoke billowing from a portion of the market, and immediately reported to their leader to alert the fire service, who arrived on time to manage the situation.
According to him, the fire might have been caused by electrical faults, saying, “I saw some electrical cables sparking before the fire started; it spread quickly and burnt several shops.”
Mr Derrick Pabi, a tailor, said he got to the scene around 03:15 hours and met the fire services personnel with some police officers at the scene, with the fire doused.
Madam Portia Quaye, a seamstress operating in that section, said she was called around 04:00 hours and informed that their shops were burning, but upon reaching the scene, she realised that the officers had already controlled the fire.
The affected traders appealed to authorities for support as they assessed the damage and looked for ways to recover from their losses.
Divisional Officer II (DOII) Ebenezer Yenzu, Tema Regional Public Relations Officer of Ghana National Fire Service (GNFS), told the Ghana News Agency (GNA) that a total of eight shops were affected by the fire incident, with three of them suffering extensive damage as they burnt intensely, while the remaining five were partially affected by the flames.
DOII Yenzu stated that the exact cause of the fire outbreak was yet to be determined, giving the assurance that investigations were underway to establish the source of the fire and prevent similar occurrences in the future.
He emphasised that personnel from the Fire Service were actively engaging with market women, providing education on fire safety measures, and explained that the efforts were aimed at raising awareness and equipping traders with essential knowledge on fire prevention, proper handling of flammable materials, and a lot more.
He urged all traders and business operators within the market to remain vigilant and adhere to safety protocols to minimise the risk of future fire outbreaks.