The Kejetia New Market Fire Investigation Committee has delivered its report to the Kumasi Metropolitan Assembly.
The committee advised, among other things, that the epicentre of the fire be closed indefinitely to allow for additional evaluation of the damage caused by the inferno and to check the stability of structures there, according to a report obtained by OilCity Radio.
Among the committee’s primary findings was that, contrary to market measures and fire laws, “there were gas cylinders in the area of the fire that should not have been there”.
It commended the rescue efforts of emergency service providers, particularly the Ghana National Service, and stated that, despite their efforts, the fire “caused considerable damage to the structure of the fire-affected area of the building. The flames destroyed goods and properties whilst the upper area of the market structure building suffered from significant smoke staining to the soffit of the roof covering.”
According to the report, the incident caused damage to 42 businesses, with 12 of them suffering severe damage.
On Wednesday, March 15, parts of the Kejetia New Market caught fire, burning properties worth thousands of Ghana Cedis.
Following a visit by a delegation from the Local Government Ministry led by Osei Bonsu Amoah, a Committee was formed on Friday, March 17. On the same day, the Ghana National Fire Service began investigations into the fire occurrence.
The Committee’s primary recommendations include required building permit renewal, mandatory fire permit renewal, and forced EPA permit renewal (mandatory).
