“Accessibility is always a problem in Central Market… and the interference from the traders is not good,” he lamented. “They should allow us to do our work; we are professionals”.

The cause of the fire is unknown.

The Ashanti Region has recorded a number of fire outbreaks in the first quarter of the year.

Dagomba Line Fire

Scores of wooden structures were gutted at the Dagomba Line slum which provides shelter for head porters, petty traders, scrap dealers, and some homeless people.

The same area was affected by a fire at least twice in 2020 with more than 10,000 people being displaced.

The National Disaster Management Organization (NADMO) had to provide relief for the victims.

Aboabo fire    

Fire razed more than 30 shops in the early hours of January 10 prompting firefighters to deploy five tenders to ensure the fire did not spread to other shops.

The firefighters battled the inferno for over three hours before bringing it under control.

The cause of the fire is not known, but some shop owners suspected an electric welder who was carrying out repair works in one of the metal containers in the area.

The police have subsequently arrested the welder identified as Kofi Gyimah, 37, and Paul Akwasi Kwakye, a 51-year-old shop owner.

KNUST incident

At the KNUST, the fire swept through 10 shops at a mini-market behind the Republic Hall.

This occurred barely 24 hours after the tertiary institution re-opened for academic work after staying home for many months due to the COVID-19 outbreak.

Several items in container shops were destroyed when the fire was brought under control by fire-fighters at about 02:55 am.

University Relations Officer (URO) of KNUST, Dr. Daniel Norris Bekoe told theghanareport.com there were no fatalities contrary to reports by some people on social media.

However, some students had to be evacuated from the Republic Hall for their safety.

Management entreated the public to disregard false information circulated on social media that 17 persons, including a porter, lost their lives.

Yesterday’s incident comes just a week after four people were killed in a domestic fire at Manso-Aponapon in the Amansie South District of the Ashanti Region.

Power upsurge coupled with poor wiring systems were said to have caused the blaze, the Ghana National Fire Service said.