Kumasi, Jan.2, GNA - Fire on Saturday swept through the 31st December Section of the Kumasi Central Market destroying property worth thousands of Ghana Cedis.

The cause of the fire is not known but eyewitnesses' accounts indicated that the fire started at about 0300 hours on Saturday. There were no casualties.

When the Ghana News Agency (GNA) visited the scene at 0900 hours, personnel of the Ghana National Fire Service (GNFS) were busily fighting the fire. Some of the affected traders were wailing uncontrollably. Madam Fuseina Mohammed, a hide dealer, who was beside herself, said she went to Burkina Faso only three days ago to buy a consignment of her merchandise and expressed regret at the fire outbreak, adding that the disaster had collapsed her business.

Numerous second hand shoe sellers, who were also affected, told the GNA that they were anticipating that the National Disaster Management Organization would go to their aid.

The Ashanti Regional Police Commander, Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCOP), Patrick Timbillah told newsmen that the Police Command had started investigations into the cause of the fire.

He said, they were liaising with the GNFS to get to the bottom of the fire outbreak and expressed his sympathies to the affected traders. The Police Commander praised some of the traders for calling in the Fire Service early. Meanwhile, Mr Kofi Opoku-Manu, the Ashanti Regional Minister, has visited the scene to sympathise with the traders.