Kumasi, March 27, GNA - Mr Emmanuel Asamoah Owusu-Ansah, Ashanti Regional Minister, on Tuesday inaugurated an eight-member fact-finding committee to investigate circumstances that led to the fire outbreak at the Kumasi Central Market on March 9.

The Committee has Mr Pat Hagan, Ashanti Regional Economic Planning Officer, as Chairman and Mr Charles Oteng, Deputy Director at the Regional Coordinating Council (RCC), as Secretary. Others are the Regional Security Coordinator; Regional Fire Officer and the Metropolitan Engineer of the Kumasi Metropolitan Assembly. The rest are the Regional Coordinator of the National Disaster Management Organisation (NADMO), Regional Police Commander or his Representative, The Engineer, Electricity Company of Ghana, Kumasi East and Mr James Oti of the Kumasi Central Market Traders Association. The Regional Minister said the committee would provide a policy guideline report to prevent such calamities in the future and had three weeks to do its work.

He said the report should include the cause or causes of the fire outbreak, number of people affected by the disaster, estimated cost of property destroyed and to advise on security and safety measures at the Market.

Mr Owusu-Ansah expressed the sympathy of RCC to the affected traders and their families.

The Chairman of the Committee said they would work assiduously and present a report that would help to reduce fire outbreaks in the Region.