Aflao, May 3, GNA - Two hardware shops and a provision store located opposite the Aflao Central Market were gutted by fire early Friday morning, completely destroying goods worth millions of cedis. A fourth building attached to one of stores was also severely damaged.

Mr Christopher Doe, owner of one the shops told the Ghana News Agency (GNA) that he had re-stocked his hardware store with goods worth 70 million cedis a day before the incident.

He said he also lost cash 15 million cedis, which he had kept in the store to the blaze.

Eyewitnesses said fire service personnel had to use a detour to fight the fire due to obstruction by heavy-duty road construction vehicles working on the road, which had been packed on the roads overnight.

Personnel of the Fire Service said they could not determine the cause of the fire immediately but that investigations were underway.