A devastating fire swept through parts of the Dansoman Market in the early hours of Wednesday, November 26, 2025, claiming the life of an eight-year-old girl and destroying several wooden shops and structures.
The Ghana National Fire Service (GNFS) received a distress call at exactly 00:02 hours reporting the outbreak. Firefighters from the Dansoman Fire Station arrived on the scene just two minutes later at 00:04 hours only to meet the blaze already at an advanced stage and spreading rapidly in all directions.
After a quick assessment, the first crew immediately requested reinforcements. A total of eight fire engines from Industrial Area, Ministries, National Headquarters, Madina, Weija, Anyaa, and Accra City stations, supported by two private water tankers from the Accra Metropolitan Assembly (AMA), were dispatched to the scene.
Through coordinated firefighting efforts, the flames were confined by 01:51 hours and brought under control at 03:03 hours. Overhauling operations to extinguish hidden pockets of fire continued until the incident was declared fully extinguished at 05:21 hours.
Tragically, an eight-year-old girl who was trapped inside one of the affected sections of the market was burnt beyond recognition.
Her charred remains were recovered by firefighters and handed over to the Ghana Police Service for preservation and further investigation.
The cause of the fire has not yet been established, with GNFS officials stating that investigations are ongoing.
An unspecified number of wooden shops and structures used for commercial activities, together with goods and merchandise inside them, were completely razed. However, the timely intervention of the firefighters prevented the blaze from spreading to several adjoining structures and properties, saving them from total destruction.
The Dansoman Market, located in the Ablekuma West Municipality, is one of the bustling trading centres in the Greater Accra Region serving thousands of residents daily.
Authorities have urged traders and residents to remain calm as investigations continue and promised to release further updates in due course.