Ghana National Fire Service responds to mass breathing difficulty incident at CMB

Personnel from the Ghana National Fire Service (GNFS) were deployed to the Cocoa Marketing Board (CMB) area in Accra's Central Business District(CBD) on Monday, following reports of multiple people experiencing acute breathing difficulties because of overcrowding.

The area on Monday was filled with a multitude of people in an attempt to do last-minute shopping for the Christmas festive season.

The incident, which caused alarm among traders, shoppers, and transport operators, saw numerous individuals struggling to breathe, prompting immediate emergency calls.

Fire Service crews arrived swiftly at the scene to assess the situation, provide initial assistance, and conduct atmospheric monitoring to identify any potential hazards by spraying water into the atmosphere.

Initial reports from the scene suggest the cause may have been a suspected chemical release or a concentrated plume of fumes from an unidentified source. However, the stench emanating from the debris collected from the gutters as a result of a clean-up exercise might also have contributed to the situation

Casualty figures are currently unconfirmed, but eyewitnesses reported seeing several people having difficulty breathing.

Officials are working to determine the exact cause of the incident.

It was a scene of artificial rain in Accra's Central Business District on Monday

The crowded scene led to commercial drivers taking advantage of the situation by doubling their fares.

Commercial drivers were seen charging GHS 5 from Tudu to Kwame Nkrumah Circle and GHS 10 to Lapaz, GHS 10 to Dome and GHS 20 to Nsawam.

Even in the face of the cheating on the part of the commercial drivers, passengers still clamoured for the vehicles with the personnel from the Police MTTD looking on.

The Ghana National Fire Service and other relevant agencies, like the Ambulance Service, are expected to provide further updates as the investigation proceeds.

🚨ICYMI🇬🇭🔥🌡️: Scenes at Accra CMB earlier today as extreme heat & congestion caused several people to struggle to breathe, w/ some reportedly losing consciousness.

The National Fire Service intervened to spray water on the crowd to help cool temperatures & restore calm.

🦅🇬🇭 pic.twitter.com/EU17uLIaBh

— Ölele | Building OSN (@OleleSalvador) December 22, 2025