A fire outbreak has completely destroyed a 10-room apartment in a compound house situated around the Ghanata School area at Oforikrom, a suburb of the Suhum Municipality in the Eastern Region.
The fire is believed to have been caused by a candle that was lit during a six-hour power outage in the Eastern Region and other parts of Ghana.
The incident, took place at around 9:30 pm on March 10, 2024.
The residents of the house managed to escape unhurt but lost all their belongings and properties.
However, fire fighters from the Ghana National Fire Service (GNFS) with the help of neighbours were able to prevent the fire from spreading to other homes.
According to one of the victims, she received a call only to find out the building was on fire but still managed to save her child who was in the building at the time of the incident.
“I was sleeping last night when someone called me, and that was when I realised the whole place had been gutted by fire. At the time, one of my children was still inside so I courageously went in and brought him out. I have lost everything. I don’t even know who gave me the dress I am wearing now,” she said.
The Suhum Fire Station and the Ghana Police Service are investigating the cause of the fire outbreak. The National Disaster Management Organization (NADMO) visited the scene to assess the extent of the damage.
Credit: Emmanuella Sarfo-Ntow