Vice President Mahamudu Bawumia has said he has been informed by officers of the Ghana National Fire Service and the National Disaster Management Organisation (NADMO) that the Kumasi Kejetia market fire that happened on Thursday, 16 March 2023, was caused by a gas explosion.

Addressing the traders when he visited the fire scene in the Ashanti Region, Dr Bawumia said he has gathered from the firefighters that one of the traders was cooking in the shop with a gas cooker very close to other shops that sold chemicals and even gunpowder, causing the explosion.

According to Dr Bawumia, the officers said the fire was not caused by an electrical fault as had been earlier rumoured.

Dr Bawumia pledged that the government was doing everything possible to fix the market so the traders could return to their livelihood.

He further promised that the government will implement the recommendations of the committee set up to investigate the fire incident.

He applauded the Fire Service and NADMO officials for helping to bring the fire under control.

Thirty-three shops were decimated by the fire.

The market has 8,000 shops.

The Vice President also indicated that the market will be reopened for business tomorrow, Tuesday, 21 March 2023, contrary to the Board of the market deciding to close it for a week.