A devastating late-night fire at the Suame Post Office market in the Ashanti region has left traders grappling with significant losses, as over 100 shops were destroyed in the blaze.

The fire, which reportedly began at midnight on Tuesday, rapidly spread through the market, engulfing properties and goods worth millions of cedis, leaving a trail of destruction in its wake.

Eyewitnesses reported that explosions from gas cylinders stored within the market accelerated the fire’s spread, intensifying the devastation across the trading area.

The exact cause of the inferno remains under investigation, with authorities yet to determine the origin of the fire.

Helpless traders could only watch as the flames consumed their shops and livelihoods, unable to stop the fire’s destructive path.

In a desperate bid to save goods, some nearby residents rushed to the scene, forcibly opening shops to retrieve items before the fire could claim them.

Traders and residents have expressed frustration, alleging that the Ghana National Fire Service arrived at the scene too late, after much of the market had already been reduced to ashes.

One distressed eyewitness lamented, “We called for help earlier, but the fire service came late. By then, everything was gone.”

Preliminary investigations have been launched by the Ghana National Fire Service to ascertain the cause of the fire, with no casualties reported thus far.

DO II Peter Addai, the Public Relations Officer of the Ghana National Fire Service (GNFS) in the Ashanti Region, confirmed the incident. The Municipal Chief Executive (MCE) assured affected traders of government support, stating, “We will not turn our back on you,” and noted that investigations would be conducted to determine the fire’s cause.