Traders and shop owners around the Blue Light Arena at Adum in Kumasi have been asked to evacuate to make way for the construction of a lorry pathway, following Friday’s devastating fire incident.
On Monday, officers will begin a demolition exercise in the area, after the expiration of the two-day ultimatum.
The Friday fire started from a two-storey building and spread rapidly due to the dense congestion of the Blue Light arena and the combustible nature of items sold at the market.
The fire at the Kumasi Adum trading area intensified as more shops and valuable items worth millions burnt.
Preliminary assessment by the Fire Service disclosed that the fire exacerbated following the inaccessible nature of the market.
The once-vibrant trading area is now a landscape of scraps and ashes, raising concerns around fire safety, infrastructure improvements, and the adequacy of emergency response in times like this.
The congestion of the area facilitated the spreading of the fire to other areas even a day after the fire started.
Regional fire commander, Assistant chief officer 2, Peter Tetteh, is admonishing city authorities to create access to public areas, and for traders to adhere to safety tips.
“The public should listen to us, and adhere to the safety tips we bring out. There are no roads or paths to these markets. City authorities should make these areas accessible. So when it happens we can get access and solve the problem faster,” he said.
In efforts to mitigate fire incidents, authorities have outlined plans to restructure the set up of markets in Kumasi allowing for accessible roads.
Agyeman Boadi, also known as King Zuba, representing the Ashanti regional minister, disclosed this intervention in response to accessibility issues faced by the fire service.
“Not all the markets or traders will be affected. We have engaged them to find somewhere to relocate and make way for the intervention for the emergency situations. Most of them are in unauthorized areas. We don’t have a place of relocation but let us keep in mind that, if we had a path like we intend to now, we wouldn’t have seen this level of damage,” he said.
Meanwhile, victims of the fire are seen trying to salvage remains of their burnt items, with anxious traders who fear the fire might reach their shops, moving their items to safety.
So far, Over 5,000 traders and shop owners have been affected.
The distraught shop owners and traders are mourning the loss of livelihoods.
“I tried to use a hammer to secure my goods, but I couldn’t because of the smoke. We haven’t heard anything better from the authorities. And they keep saying the same thing, no solution. We have lost all that we had,” a victim cried out.
The National Disaster Management Organization (NADMO) says they are prepared to provide assistance and relief to the affected.
Deputy Director General of NADMO, Ahmed Rahim, says appropriate support will be provided to affected victims.
“Our men have been on the grounds picking data of all of the affected. When the whole place is cleared, we will enroll the affected victims based on the list we have. So they (victims) don’t have to worry about the demarcations that will be made. We will also fulfil his Excellency’s directive of providing relief to the affected victims,” he said.
