- Fire destroys over 40 shops at Kwadaso market in Ashanti.
- Traders lose millions of cedis worth of goods, including fabrics and frozen foods.
- Fire leaves traders struggling to survive, with some appealing to the government for aid.
- Investigations underway to determine the cause of the fire, which fortunately resulted in no casualties.
A devastating fire has ravaged parts of the Kwadaso market in the Ashanti region, destroying over 40 shops and their contents. The fire broke out in the early hours of Thursday, August 1, 2024, leaving traders in a state of despair.
Traders at the M line of the market have lost millions of cedis worth of goods, including fabrics, footwear, frozen foods, plantain, yam, and others. The traders are lamenting the loss of their livelihood, as they rely solely on their businesses to survive.
One trader, who wished to remain anonymous, shared her concerns with Citi News, stating that she had lost GHC4,000 to GHC5,000 worth of plantain. She explained that she had bought the plantain on credit and was worried about how to pay back the loan.
Another trader, Adwoa Connie, also expressed her distress, stating that she had lost over a million cedis worth of fabrics, shoes, and hair scarves. Connie, who is 71 years old, appealed to the government to come to her aid, as she has no other means of supporting herself and her children.
The Public Relations Officer of the Ashanti Regional Fire Service stated that the blaze was controlled after deploying two fire appliances, a fire tender, and a water tanker to the scene. Investigations are underway to determine the cause of the fire, which affected 40 stalls and their contents, but fortunately, there were no casualties.
