Veep directs Interior Ministry to investigate Kantamanto fire outbreak
Vice President Paa Kwesi Amissah-Arthur on Sunday visited the Kantamanto Market in Accra and sympathized with victims and traders who lost their wares and cash following a fire outbreak in the market earlier in the day.
The fire, the third in two years, was reported to have started in the early hours of Sunday and razed down stores and offices. The cause of the fire has not yet been determined.
When the Vice-President got to the scene around noon, a thick dark smoke had engulfed the sky around the market square, a centre of activity for multitudes of traders, hawkers and many business offices.
Traders and shop owners made frantic efforts to save their goods as Fire officers were battling the fire for hours.
The Vice President expressed worry over the huge loss, saying,”This is another disaster that should never have happened.”
He gave the assurance that measures would be put in place to ensure a safer, better secured and planned market at the site to boost economic activities and secure the livelihood that was destroyed as a result of the fire.
He asked the Ministry of Interior to institute a commission to find the cause of the outbreak, and come out with measures and in the meantime do what was necessary to avert more fire disasters in the markets.
He appealed to the Ministry of Finance and financial institutions to come to the aid of the victims with soft loans.
Meanwhile, the National Disaster Management Organisation (NADMO) and the Accra Metropolitan Assembly are making frantic efforts to assist the fire victims.
The Vice President was accompanied by Mr. Julius Debrah, the Greater Accra Regional Minister; Mr Alfred Vanderpuije, the Mayor of Accra; Nii Lantey Vanderpuije, MP for Odododiodioo, the Police and Fire Officials.
Source: GNA