To forestall the occurrence of fire outbreaks in the Makola Market, the Second-hand Cloth Sellers Association has banned the use of gas and deep freezers in their portion of the market.

They also welcomed the directive from Government to the Electricity Company of Ghana to conduct an inspection of all markets to identify and rectify illegal connections, which has been identified as one of the main causes of fires.

Mr Justice Amalai Tetteh, Chairman of the Association, said a task force has been formed to check all those using gas and other non-prescribed electrical equipment in their stalls.

He said illegal connections, traders using over loaded metres, the usage of electric irons without the prescribed regulators and inappropriate fridges and freezers were some of the concerns raised by traders at their portion of the market.

Mr Tetteh said anyone found violating the ban would face one month suspension.

He also commended the Ghana Fire Service and the Police for ensuring that no goods were looted in the recent fire outbreak on Tuesday May 7 which destroyed the wares of some traders.

Mr Francis Afadi, leader of the six-man task force, gave the assurance that effective monitoring and security measures would be put in place to ensure the safety of all.