Massive Fire Engulfs Shops Near Kwame Nkrumah Circle VVIP Station

A fire outbreak behind the VVIP Station at the Kwame Nkrumah Circle in Accra has destroyed about 50 shops used mainly as warehouses for phone accessories and other merchandise. The fire, which broke out on Tuesday, January 20, 2026, also affected other structures serving as homes and food vending points in the busy commercial enclave, forcing occupants and traders to flee as flames spread through the area. Officials say details about the cause of the fire and whether there were injuries were still unclear as at the time of reporting, while assessments were ongoing to determine the extent of damage. Confirming the incident, Assistant Fire Officer Rashid Kwame Esau of the Ghana National Fire Service said preliminary information indicated that the blaze started from one of the kiosks in the area. “We have five fire engines here including a private tanker. Some have gone to replenish about two or three times and they are here. We are told it started from a kiosk but as to what caused the fire in the kiosk we are yet to investigate further,” he stated in an interview with the media at the scene. Firefighters battled the inferno for several hours, with water supply challenges forcing some of the tenders to leave intermittently to refill before returning to continue operations. Personnel of the Ghana National Fire Service eventually managed to confine the fire and bring the situation under control, preventing it from spreading to nearby commercial and transport facilities around the Circle. Many affected traders were seen salvaging what they could from the debris, while others lamented the loss of goods stored in the warehouses, some of which were reportedly stocked for wholesale distribution. The Fire Service has assured the public that investigations will be conducted to establish the exact cause of the outbreak and to guide future preventive measures in the area.