Kumasi, Jan 25, GNA - Large quantities of smoked fish, salted beef and property worth millions of Ghana cedis were gutted by fire in the early hours of Friday at the Kumasi Central Market. Also destroyed were cash running into several millions of cedis belonging to some traders.

There were no casualties.

Assistant Superintendent of Police (ASP), Mr Gabriel Magamsi, in-charge of the Zongo District Police, told the Ghana News Agency (GNA) in Kumasi, that the incident occurred at about 0100 hours on Friday. He said the cause of the fire, which took personnel of the Ghana National Fire Service (GNFS) about one hour to control, was not immediately known.

He said one Paapa Jato, a night watchman at the market, in his report to the police, said after spotting the fire in the market, he also informed the personnel of the GNFS.

ASP Magamsi said the police, in collaboration with the GNFS, were investigating the cause of the fire. He appealed to the public to be wary of setting fires, especially during the harmattan season.

Madam Esi Arthur, leader of the fishmongers, appealed to the Kumasi metropolitan Assembly to investigate the matter and bring the culprits to book.

On January 13 this year, a similar fire outbreak occurred at the Bantama Market, leaving one person dead with another seriously. About 500 stores and stalls worth millions of cedis were also destroyed by the fire.