Victims of the fire at the Achimota Market in Accra are yet to recover from the incident which occurred last Monday night.
The fire was said to have started at a location near an electric pole at about 10:30 p.m.
A cosmetic shop, a stationery shop, a butchery and about 20 containers were razed down by the fire.
Victims speak
Firefighters from the Ghana National Fire Service (GNFS), who received a distress call from some residents of the area, had to use two fire engines to help put out the fire.
Movement on the road leading to the market came to a standstill as a result of the fire outbreak. When the Daily Graphic visited the scene yesterday, some of the victims said they could not retrieve any of their belongings.
One of the affected persons, Narh Djabatey, who owned the cosmetic shop, said before he could get to the scene, the fire had destroyed the shop. He said items worth more than GH�3,000 were destroyed, saying that it would be difficult to go back to business.
Another victim, Cecilia Opoku, who sold cooking utensils, said she borrowed money to start her business and did not know how to pay back because the fire had destroyed everything in the shop.
Doris Konadu, who nearly shed tears, expressed concern over her survival, since the business was the only thing she relied on to take care of her two children after the demise of her husband.
The destruction
The Secretary of the Achimota Market Association, Madam Charity Dorning, commended the youth and those who were around when the fire started for their contribution to help put out the fire.
She said she had received a call that the market was burning.
"Suddenly, I heard people shouting and l rushed to the place. That was when l saw there was fire and it was spreading fast," she explained.
She said 20 containers were completely burnt down.
However, she said, the National Disaster Management Organisation (NADMO) had inspected the place and promised to help those who lost their property to the fire.
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