Fire gut parts of Mankessim market again, over 15 stores burnt into ashes

Fire has gutted part of Mankessim market in the Mfantseman Municipality of the Central Region on Sunday evening around 10:20 am when the owners of the shops were at their various homes.

Over 15 shops were burnt down into ashes whiles some properties have been destroyed.

Most of the shops that were burnt down were wooden structures which according to the eyewitness, most of the owners of the shops cook, and done household chores in the market before going to their homes every day.

This is the third time fire has gutted Mankessim Market within this 2021 year.

The eyewitness Kofi Essandoh said the fire gutted in the wooden structures Which made it difficult to help quench the fire.

According to the eyewitness, they just heard a hard sound and later saw smoke coming from the wooden shops which spread into over 15 other shops.

Some of the shops that burnt down were drinking bars, Agro-Chemical Shops, Provisions shops, book shops, seamstress shops, TV and Radio repairers and many more.

Speaking to Mr David Aburam, one of the owners of the burnt shops said, he was at Gomoa Eshiam where he had a distress call that his shop has been burnt down and all his properties were burnt.

According to him, the Victim couldn't take anything from the shop all their belongings were burnt down totally.

According to Mr David Aburam, the affected people confirmed that their bent stores will negatively disturb them, therefore, they need government support and the Municipal Assembly.

The eyewitness said it took about 5 hours before the fire service came into the scene of which the residents have already attempted to help quench the fire.

Lastly DCO Luis Buckman a fire Officer who on behalf of the Mfantseman Fire Commander express that they find it difficult to enter the market to quench the fire due to the overcrowded shops and improper planning of the arrangements of the shops.

He said, all the structures in the Mankessim shops are old and outmoded which needs to be renovated.

The Fire Commander also appealed to the general public especially market women at Mankessim to arrange the settlement or their Shops well for them to get access to the market whenever is a fire outbreak.

The Fire Commander affirmed that the cause was not an electrical fault but from a leftover fire in one of the wooden stores which led to the fire outbreak.

He advised market women to always make sure they have quenched their fire when even they finished using it.

Alex Donkor, Kasoa