Early on Tuesday, October 21, 2025, a large fire broke out
in Kantamanto Tazani Lane, close to Ecobank, in Accra, leaving a number of
business buildings in ashes. After hours of fierce battling, the Ghana National
Fire Service (GNFS) has since been able to confine the fire.
Fire companies throughout the city responded quickly to the
distress call, which was received at 1:31 a.m., according to the GNFS. Eleven
minutes after the call was placed, at 1:42 a.m., the first fire appliance
arrived.
Seven fire engines and a turntable ladder were sent in from
several fire stations, including Circle, Industrial Area, Accra Regional
Headquarters, Madina, and Legon, due to the severity of the fires. Two more
fire engines were also supplied by National Headquarters to help with the
operation.
Throughout the night, firefighters put forth endless effort
to stop the fire from spreading to neighboring banks and stores. At 4:49 a.m.,
the fire was eventually contained after nearly three hours of arduous work.
A number of vendors who showed up at the scene early on
Tuesday morning looked on helplessly as their stores and merchandise burned.
Many were sobbing as they described how years of commitment had been gone in a
matter of hours. One trader said, "I just restocked my shop
yesterday." "It is all gone."
A high-level team led by Daniella Mawusi Ntow Sarpong, the
Acting Chief Fire Officer, arrived at the scene to evaluate the situation. The
team included the Director of Operations and the Greater Accra Regional
Commander. She praised the firefighters' expertise and courage in the face of
adversity.
“Our personnel did an excellent job under difficult
conditions. We were able to confine the fire within a short period and
prevented it from spreading to adjoining structures,” she said.
Thankfully, there have been no reports of casualties or
injuries thus far. In order to douse hotspots and prevent the flames from
rekindling, firefighters stayed on the scene all morning.
To ascertain the precise cause of the fire, the GNFS has
opened an investigation. Preliminary indications indicate that the fire might
have originated from one of the wooden buildings used for local trade, though
it is too soon to confirm.
Authorities have been urged by Kantamanto locals and
business owners to strengthen fire safety protocols in busy commercial areas.
Many people think that crowded layouts and subpar electrical wiring frequently
render these places vulnerable to destructive fires.
Over the years, there have been multiple fire outbreaks in
Accra's busiest business district, the Kantamanto market area, resulting in
losses of millions of cedis.
image source: citinewsroom.com
As the smoke subsides and the extent of the damage is
evaluated, the tragedy serves as yet another reminder of how urgently stronger
fire safety laws, better market infrastructure, and increased public knowledge
are needed to stop tragedies like this one from happening again.
Source: https://citinewsroom.com/
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