US Fire Experts Investigate Kumasi Central Market Fire

America (USA) who are in the country to investigate recent market fires flew to Kumasi on Sunday and immediately began work at the Kumasi Central Market yesterday to unravel the cause of the blaze that ravaged the market on Sunday. The experts who are in the country at the instance of the Government of Ghana had been working on the Accra market fires since their arrival in the country last week and only moved to Kumasi when the latest fire broke out at the central market. When the two-man US fire team got down to work, affected traders massed up at the market vowing to rebuild their burnt stores and stalls by themselves. In a demonstration at the market yesterday, they called on the Kumasi Metropolitan Assembly (KMA) to allow them to erect their own structures to avoid a situation where they would end up losing their stalls. Some of the demonstrating traders were of the view that the market was intentionally burnt just for the authorities to rebuild it and give it to people of their choice. They vowed to resist any attempt by the KMA to take over the reconstruction of the burnt market. When the Daily Graphic visited the market Monday morning, hundreds of the traders were seen trying to salvage the little that was left. Numerous traders were spotted milling around the devastated scene and counting their losses. Some of them wept uncontrollably as their means of livelihoods lay in ruins and ashes. Kumasi Mayor Mr Kojo Bonsu was at the scene to assess the extent of damage and to sympathise with the traders over the loss of their livelihoods. The fire crew took about 15 hours to battle the blaze before bringing the situation under control.