Aeriel view of the Kejetia Market
The Brazilian Construction firm that built the Kumasi Kejetia market has recommended a temporary closure of part of Kejetia Market which was gutted by fire on 14th March 2023.
The directive follows a one week structural integrated test conducted on the facility by the firm which the facility failed.
Although 32 shops were directly affected by the fire, the closure of the market to business will affect 807 shops.
The construction firm fears the facility could cave in if proper maintenance is not carried on the facility based on appropriate technical advice.
On 16th March 2023, the Kejetia Market extension was gutted by fire through human error at about 4pm.
After 5hour intensive fire battle by personnel of Ghana National Fires Service, National Disaster Management organization (NADMO) among other security agencies the market was temporarily shut down to business from 16th to 20th and later extended the closure 7days more.
This was to provide the Management of the facility an opportunity to engage expect to conduct structural integrity tests on the market.
But Vice President Dr. Mahamadu Bawumia ordered management of the Market to open the market to business while management of the market had engaged experts to conduct checks on the market to establish if the market is fit for purpose particularly at the area which was affected by the fire.
A week later, the Brazilian Contracta, a construction company that built the market in a report submitted to the Board of the Kejetia Market declared the affected portion of the market by the fire as not fit for purpose.
Explaining further that the structure has failed integrity test which makes the facility not fit for purpose, warning the facility could cave in if not properly renovated before use.
Amoamanhene Nana Agyenim Boateng, Vice Board Chairman of the Kejetia Market board disclosed this information at a news Conference in Kumasi.
The technical assessment team also confirms the firefighting and electrical gadgets installed in the market, particularly the area affected by the fire, have been damaged.
Nana Agyenim Boateng further justified why the facility could cave in if proper maintenance is not done.
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