Parts of Makola market up in flames

Fire has gutted some parts of the Makola market

Mon, 5 Jul 2021 Source: www.ghanaweb.com

• Firefighters in the area could not attend to the inferno due to the unavailability of water

• Eyewitnesses say the fire started around 9am

• Further reports suggest the items that were destroyed contained lots of plastics among others

Goods worth thousands of cedis of several traders and customers at one of the country's busiest commercial business centre are up in flames on Monday morning.

A thick cloud of smoke can be seen emanating from one of the buildings in the market area of Makola.

Saxophonist Steve Bedi reported in a Facebook post showing the market in ablaze as he called for efforts by the Fire Service to come to the aid to douse the inferno.

Citinewsroom.com quotes an eyewitness to have said the fire begun at around 9 am.

“I went to buy some things at Makola this morning. In the process, I saw smoke coming from the second floor of the three-storey building. So the people around started calling the Fire Service," a quote attributed to an eyewitness read.

It continued: "After about five minutes, the Fire Service personnel were still not around, but the fire was spreading, so people in the complex tried to gather their things from the shops before the fire could get to their shops. I eventually moved away because the fire was intensifying, and you could feel the heat from the fire, which was becoming dangerous for people around."

An earlier report suggested that the Fire Service station located near the burning shops had no water in their tanks at the time the incident started. It has however been reported that the emergency services, including the Fire Service, are currently at the scene to bring the situation under control.

Accounts by other eyewitnesses suggest that the building houses different shops in the central business district (CBD) of Accra.

Happening now: Fire consumes some parts of Makola pic.twitter.com/XqZ3ax9bZV
— Serwaa Amihere (@Serwaa_Amihere) July 5, 2021

Makola Mall on fire in Accra.

Fire Service came first telling the people there is no water and have to go and come back.

Eeei????????Ghana pic.twitter.com/g55wW7Z9uT
— roland walker???? (@rowalkerghana) July 5, 2021