Parts of Timber Market razed by fire

Fire on Sunday razed parts of the Timber Market complex, near the Kokomba Market in Accra, causing extensive damage to property.

About 60 shops were burned and thugs took advantage of the fire to loot goods, Mr Benjamin Afful, a shop owner told the Ghana News Agency on Tuesday.

"Over a thousand workers at the market are now jobless", he said. Mr Afful said his shop watchman informed him that the fire started at about 2330 hours on Sunday and aided by the wind, it swept rapidly through the shops.

Mr Agyeman Boateng, another shop-owner, who accompanied Mr Afful to the offices of the GNA, said he has personally lost property worth 300 million cedis. When the GNA visited the Timber Market on Tuesday, the fire was still smouldering in several areas.

Richard Adzati, another shop owner, said those who claimed to have come to help them "rather broke into our rooms and took our items away." He said when they called the Fire Service it took them about 45 minutes to get to scene.

Mr Edward Narh, Metro Fire Officer, said investigations into the fire were still on. He said it took firemen about seven hours to bring the fire under control and they had to return to the site to quench new fires. Meanwhile, the James Town Police said they have also started investigations into the cause of the fire.

Assistant Superintendent of Police, Daniel Asare Nyampon who is the District Police Commander, told the GNA that although the Police had invited the victims to report their losses and give statements for police assessment no one had so far reported.

Mr Nyampon said preliminary investigation showed that the fire tender did not get easy access get to the fire. The shop owners have appealed to the National Disaster Management Organisation for assistance.