Traders at the Mallam Atta Market in Accra have started counting huge losses following a fire outbreak that ravaged the commercial market on Wednesday morning.

The market located at Accra New Town was in flames shortly after noon on Wednesday amidst screaming and wailing by traders.

The fire ravaged several shops destroying goods worth thousands of cedis as most of the traders run for their lives leaving their goods to perish in the fire.

Narrating her ordeal to GhanaWeb, one trader said, “We were listening to news on the radio when one boy came to inform us there was a fire heading towards our direction. We all took to our heels and when I returned, all my ware and money had been burnt.”

Another trader who spoke to GhanaWeb’s reporter said, “I sell jewellery and other ladies products and I just took delivery of some works people had done for me. I was going to arrange them when I was done eating but I heard some noise behind and when I turned to check what was happening, I realized the place was on fire. I couldn’t take anything from the shop. People behind us cook with gas cylinders all the time and no one is stopping them.”

While some of the residents blame the unfortunate incident on illegal electrical connections by some residents who live in the market, others blamed it on squatters who have taken over parts of the market.

“Some people also smoke weed in the market in broad daylight. This place is like a party ground in the night, we really want them to be evicted from the market,” one of the traders who spoke to GhanaWeb said.

Most of the traders affected were people who traded in second-hand goods.



The Mallam Atta Market is one of four markets that have been ravaged by fire in the last 90 days. Towards the end of last year, the Odawna Market, Kaneshie Market and Sakumono Market have all suffered the same loss.