Roof of Sekondi Market collapses as parts of the trading space cave in
Roof of Sekondi Market collapses as parts of the trading space cave in.
Parts of the Sekondi main market have caved in, leaving dozens of traders affected.
The Queen Mother of the market, Nana Krah, confirmed the incident to Nhyiraba Paa Kwesi Simpson, host of Connect FM’s Omanbapa Morning Show.
She said the collapse occurred in the early hours of Monday when trading activities were underway.
“Trading activities were peaking when the incident occurred. Fortunately, many of the traders who occupied that section of the market were not around when the roofing of the building collapsed. One person was trapped, but she was retrieved with slight injuries and has since been sent to the hospital,” she indicated.
The Sekondi Market has long been in a deteriorated state. It became a major subject of political discussion during the 2024 election campaign, but almost a year later, its condition remains unimproved.
According to Nana Krah, officers from the Sekondi-Takoradi Metropolitan Assembly (STMA) visited the market after the incident and were briefed on the extent of damage.
She added that the collapsed section has since been cordoned off.
“The affected place serves those who sell fish. For now, we have no idea where they are going to sell when trading activities resume tomorrow. We are hoping the Assembly steps in on time to fix the issue for the affected traders to resume activities,” she added.
The Director of the National Disaster Management Organisation (NADMO) in the Sekondi-Takoradi Metropolis, Alhaji Kamal, also confirmed the incident.
He disclosed that two casualties had been recorded.
“One person has since been taken to the hospital, while the other is still around. The sub-metro has already cordoned off the place and asked traders to desist from selling there. The place has also been earmarked for demolition. We are lucky the incident did not happen on a market day; it would have been a disaster. For now, all traders have been asked to leave the place. We shall assess the extent of damage and write a report for recommendations. We are also working to ensure the entire market is captured in the next budget,” he noted.
