BY Grace Zigah
A massive fire has gutted the newly inaugurated China City Mall located at Santasi in Kumasi, reducing the multi-million-cedi facility to ashes and destroying goods worth thousands of Ghana cedis.
The fire, which broke out in the early hours of Thursday, October 30, 2025, quickly engulfed the entire commercial complex, sending thick plumes of smoke into the sky and attracting hundreds of onlookers.
According to eyewitnesses, the flames spread rapidly, leaving traders and staff with little time to salvage any of their merchandise.
“It was terrifying. Within minutes, the fire took over the whole building. We couldn’t save anything,” recounted one shop attendant who narrowly escaped the blaze.
Officials from the Ghana National Fire Service (GNFS) said they received a distress call around noon and dispatched two fire tenders to the scene.
However, by the time firefighters arrived, the inferno had already consumed much of the structure.
“Our personnel responded swiftly and worked tirelessly to bring the situation under control,” a GNFS officer told reporters. “The cause of the fire is yet to be determined, but initial assessments indicate that it may have started from the rear section of the building.”
The fire ravaged several sections of the mall, which hosted a variety of shops dealing in electronics, groceries, and home accessories.
Despite the magnitude of the destruction, no casualties or injuries have been reported so far.
Personnel from the National Disaster Management Organisation (NADMO) were also on-site to support affected traders and assess the extent of the damage.
The China City Mall, which opened earlier in 2025, had quickly become a bustling shopping hub for residents of Kumasi and nearby towns, offering a wide range of imported goods at competitive prices.
Meanwhile, the GNFS says investigations are underway to ascertain the exact cause of the blaze and evaluate the level of structural damage to the facility.
Authorities have also urged business operators to adhere strictly to fire safety protocols and ensure their premises are equipped with adequate firefighting equipment to prevent future disasters.
