A devastating fire in Accra, Ghana, on January 1 destroyed two-thirds of the Kantamanto market, which was a crucial income source for around 30,000 people. The gutted marketplace, known for its secondhand clothes from global brands, has left many vendors without products or income. As reconstruction begins, the atmosphere remains tense and uncertain with many stalls still empty. There are lingering speculations about the cause, though no official report has been released. Survivors lament the loss of their businesses and continue to sift through rubble, struggling in the aftermath of the tragedy.
Before the fire, Kantamanto was a sprawling complex of thousands of stalls crammed with clothes from brands including H&M, Levi Strauss, Tesco, Primark, New Look and more.
It's really crazy, it's very bad, says Richard Kwaku Kwakye, 37, who is standing in front of the area where he used to sell women's dresses.
The market is one of the biggest destinations in the world for secondhand garments known locally as obroni wawu or dead white person's clothes from countries in the global north.
One person died as flames engulfed Kantamanto, and another died a few days afterwards of a heart attack.
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