Close down Kejetia market for 3 days for thorough fire audit – Minister

The Ashanti Regional Minister, Mr Simon Osei-Mensah, has suggested for the New Kumasi Kejetia Market to be closed down for three days to allow for proper investigations to be conducted into the fire that gutted part of it.

Some of the traders had alleged that the fire detectors in addition to the water sprinklers in the market were not working during the fire outbreak that destroyed property worth thousands of Ghana cedis.

Speaking to the media when he visited the fire scene today, Mr Osei-Mensah said there is a need for investigations to be conducted to unravel the validity of the claims by the traders.

He wants the board of the market to postpone its decision to reopen the market for business at noon today to allow for in-depth investigations to be conducted into the aforementioned claims among others.

The Minister who said he is not part of the board of the market expressed unhappiness with the composition of the board of the market.

For his part, the Regional Fire Commander, ACFO Henry Giwah, also said the service is still investigating the fire incident.

"As professionals, we are still investigating and we don't have to speculate," he said.

According to him, they know where the fire started from but they are still investigating.