A massive fire outbreak has destroyed the China City located at Santasi in Kumasi on Wednesday afternoon.
The incident, which occurred around 2:30 p.m., has left traders and workers in shock.
According to eyewitnesses, it consisted of two main compartments.
The ground floor contained light goods such as plastics and electronics.
The upper section was filled with furniture and other heavy materials.
A sales attendant who witnessed the incident said she first noticed thick smoke upstairs.
“I saw smoke from the second compartment and shouted for everyone to leave,” she recounted.
She added that all staff managed to escape before the fire intensified.
Within minutes, the flames spread quickly across both compartments, consuming everything in sight.
Another saleswoman alleged that someone might have started the fire intentionally.
“We saw a man acting suspiciously before the fire started,” she said.
She explained that the man, believed to be in his mid-thirties, walked in as a customer.
CCTV footage reportedly showed him performing suspicious actions before the flames began.
Authorities later apprehended the suspect, though the details of his arrest remain unclear.
People immediately called firefighters from the Ghana National Fire Service (GNFS).
However, several witnesses claim the response came too late.
By the time officers arrived, most of the building had already been engulfed.
Residents at the scene criticized the delay, describing it as “unacceptable.”
They said emergency teams could have contained the fire earlier if they had responded quickly.
The raging flames burned for hours, leaving the building in ruins.
Authorities have not confirmed any casualties yet, but they estimate extensive property loss.
Workers of China City now fear losing their livelihoods as the structure lies completely destroyed.
One attendant said the fire has taken away their “only source of daily bread.”
Authorities are yet to release an official report on the cause of the fire.
Investigations are ongoing to determine whether the act was intentional or accidental.
