Fire gutted Swedru Central Market

Agona Swedru, Sept 15, GNA- Fire raised down more than ten stores at the Agona Swedru Central market destroying properties worth several millions of cedis.

Items destroyed, including sacks of plantain, quantity of yams, containers of cooking oil and unspecified amount of money got burnt. Mr Barry Iddrisu, a night watchman at the market told the Ghana News Agency (GNA) that the fire started at about 1.30 am from where the women sell plantain, yam and cooking oil.

According to him the fire occurred as a result of coalpot used by the women after they had finished cooking in the evening. Mr. Iddrisu said the women who cook food to sell in the market have been told to stop but to no avail, adding that the women close from the market between 19 hours and 20 hours, which posed serious threat to security of the market.

The thieves also took advantage of the darkness as result of load shedding, which affected the market, broke into most of the shops and stores and made away with goods.

ASP Bonney, Fire Officer from Winneba, who led the team to the scene, said they spent 30 minutes to bring the fire under control. He stated that they had the alarm from their information room that there was fire outbreak at Agona Swedru Central market and they rushed because Swedru has no fire tender.

ASP Bonney said the fire did not cover wider area as a result of the power outage else it would have destroyed more stores.

He called on the Agona District Assembly to try to re-design the market because there is not any access into the market if there is fire outbreak because they had it tough before gaining access to the market. Meanwhile, the residents of Agona Swedru have renewed their appeal to the Fire Service Administration to expedite action on the repair of the fire tender, which had broke down for more than six months. Mr. Kojo Okyere resident of Dwenho, told GNA that, within two months two fire disasters had occurred and properties worth several millions of cedis were destroyed.