In the early hours of January 2, 2025, a devastating fire swept through the Kantamanto Market in Accra, leaving traders in despair as they counted their losses.
The market, known for its vibrant atmosphere and diverse range of goods, was reduced to ashes in a matter of hours.
The scene was one of heartbreak and chaos. Traders, many of whom had invested their life savings into their businesses, sifted through the charred remains of their stalls, hoping to salvage anything of value.
The air was thick with the smell of smoke and the sound of sobs as the reality of the disaster set in.
Among the affected was Ama Mensah, a clothing vendor who had been a fixture at the market for over a decade.
“I have lost everything,” she said, tears streaming down her face. “All my goods, my savings, everything is gone. I don’t know how I will recover from this.”
Isabella Apoe, a cold store operator, was spotted gathering what remains of her burnt shop. She also narrated that she had lost millions to the fire.
The fire, which started in the early hours of Thursday morning, quickly spread through the market, fueled by the flammable materials that many traders used to construct their stalls. Despite the efforts of the fire service, the blaze proved too intense to control, and by the time it was extinguished, much of the market had been destroyed.
Local authorities have launched an investigation into the cause of the fire, but for the traders, the focus is on rebuilding their lives and businesses.
Many have called for government assistance to help them get back on their feet, while others have turned to their communities for support.
“I have lost everything attempts to rescue some of my goods proved futile. I didn’t get one persewa from here, I collected a loan to do this business. We will rise from these ashes. It’s not easy, my wife also sells ladies’ clothing she has lost everything,” said Joshua Tetteh, another trader.
“Kantamanto is more than just a market; it is our home, and we will not let this fire destroy our spirit.”
Samuel Ahenkorah, a trader who owns two shops, part of the shops burnt by the fire outbreak, narrated how much he’s lost.
“I have lost so much goods, why are people so wicked? I deal in jeans for both adults and children. I have lost everything out of my two shops. I have lost so much money. One bail of goods costs GHC5,500, it’s not easy at all, this is so devastating.”
“I had a phone call from my sister informing me about the fire. We couldn’t retrieve anything, we have lost all the utensils and equipment we use for our cooking business,” Fati Alhassan a food vendor said.
Hawa Yakubu, another food vendor, also said, “The shito we sell have all burnt to ashes, including the foodstuffs we bought and prepared stew.”
In an interview with Channel One News’ Fifi Annan, Adutwum Atta Manu, Market Manager of Kantamanto Market confirmed the firefighters had been able to contain the fire.
Silas Oteng-Akenteng, a vendor, mentioned that he has resorted to gathering scraps to sell later on in order to make ends meet, as his primary source of livelihood was destroyed by the inferno.
“I sell materials, but my goods have been burnt. So I’m picking the scraps to sell to get some money in my pockets. I envisage things are going to be very difficult for me. Because I will be unemployed within this period. We’re praying for the government to give us money to start business again.”
“Around 1:am I had a phone call that there was a fire in Kantamanto, we rushed to the place and when we came, the fire had started. So what we could was that we decided to quench the fire ourselves, but because of the intensity, we couldn’t fight it. We called the firefighters they also came with their tenders and they did what they could to contain the fire. But it didn’t affect the other side of the market they salvaged the situation from there.”
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