What Caused The Fire At The World’s Largest Secondhand Clothes Hub?

January 07, 2025 | Source: Country & Town House | by Rebecca Cox

A devastating fire swept through Kantamanto Market in Accra, Ghana, on January 1, 2025, effectively destroying one of the world’s largest secondhand clothing markets. The blaze started in the early hours of the morning, eliminating hundreds of stalls and damaging the livelihoods of thousands of market traders. ‘This is devastating,’ Alex King Nartey, a GNFS spokesperson, said. ‘We’ve not recorded severe casualties, but the economic loss is enormous.’

What Is Kantamanto Market?

Kantamanto Market is a vital economic hub in Ghana’s capital, receiving approximately 15 million secondhand clothing items weekly from Western countries. It is where many of our secondhand unwanted items end up from the UK, following donation or recycling. The fire has dealt a severe blow to the local economy, with reports suggesting that an estimated 8,000 traders will be directly affected by the disaster.