One person has died and several others have sustained severe burns after a fire swept through parts of the Abotaose Market in the Biakoye District of the Oti Region.

The incident occurred at about 2 p.m. on Saturday, August 30.

According to preliminary reports, the fire may have started after a household fire came into contact with a premix fuel storage facility at the market. The exact cause is, however, yet to be officially established as investigations continue.

The blaze quickly spread to sections of the market, destroying a number of structures and leaving several people injured.

One of the victims, who was sleeping in a nearby shed when the fire broke out, was trapped by the flames and suffered severe burns. He was rushed to the Worawora Hospital for emergency treatment but was pronounced dead on arrival.

Several other victims who sustained varying degrees of burns were also transported to the facility, where they are receiving medical attention.

The Acting District Fire Officer for Biakoye, ADOI Desmond Addo, told Citi News that the circumstances surrounding the incident were still being investigated.

The fire was eventually brought under control with support from community volunteers.

The incident has, however, triggered concerns over emergency response times, with reports indicating that professional firefighters had to travel from Dambai and Kpando to reach the affected community.

Residents and traders have consequently renewed calls for improved fire and emergency response capacity in the area to prevent delays in responding to similar incidents in the future.