Nima market traders appeal to government for help after fire outbreak

“Some of us took loans before buying goods to sell, so this fire has really affected us,” an onion seller at the Nima Market, Mariam Teiko Amegashie, lamented after a late-night fire destroyed shops and goods at the market.

The fire, which started around 11 p.m. some weeks ago, destroyed several wooden structures, shops and goods belonging to traders at the market.

The Ghana National Fire Service (GNFS), however, managed to contain the blaze and prevented it from spreading to other parts of the market. No casualties were recorded.

Damage

When the Daily Graphic visited the market days after, several wooden structures and shops had been completely burnt down.

Traders and shop owners were seen clearing debris and removing burnt materials from the affected area.

Some traders said quantities of onions, rice, tin tomatoes, cassava, palm nuts and other goods were destroyed in the fire.

Others also said tables, wooden sheds and containers used for trading were damaged by the blaze.

Losses

Mrs Amegashie said she received a distress call around 11 p.m. informing her that her shop had caught fire.

She said she rushed to the market only to find that half of her shop and goods had been destroyed.

According to her, the destruction would affect many traders whose businesses depended on daily sales at the market.

Mrs Amegashie commended the GNFS for its swift response, which she said helped to prevent further destruction and loss of life.

She appealed to the government to provide financial support to affected traders to help them recover from their losses.

“Some of us took loans before buying goods to sell, so this fire has really affected us,” she said.

Mrs Amegashie said the recent frequent power outages and power fluctuations in the market caused the fire.

Eyewitness

An eyewitness and trader, Yaw Sarfo, who sells cassava and palm nuts at the market, said some traders initially attempted to control the fire before firefighters arrived.

“When we heard about the fire, we used buckets of soapy water to try and quench it,” he said.

“We realised that once we quenched the flames at one place, it started at another location,” he added.

Mr Sarfo said the traders suspected the recent power fluctuations in the market might have caused the fire.

“A few minutes later, we called the Fire Service, who finally came and quenched it completely,” he said.

Mr Sarfo said firefighters used two fire engines to extinguish the blaze after the first fire engine ran out of water.

Appeal

Another trader, Ms Fayilatu Jibril, who runs a rice and tin tomatoes shop, said she lost all her goods in the fire.

She appealed to the government and benevolent organisations to provide financial support to affected traders so they could restart their businesses.

According to the GNFS, no casualties were recorded, while investigations are ongoing to determine the cause of the fire.