A fire outbreak at the girls’ dormitory of Wa Islamic Senior High School in the Upper West Region has displaced 138 students after destroying six dormitory rooms on Sunday evening.
The blaze, which started at about 7:30 p.m., reportedly began in one of the rooms before spreading rapidly through the dormitory block. Two fire tenders from the Ghana National Fire Service (GNFS) were deployed to contain the fire.
This marks the third time the same girls’ dormitory has been ravaged by fire.
Headmaster of the school, Alhassan Abudu Bafaara, said the fire had already intensified by the time he arrived at the scene.
“I dashed back and saw the inferno. It was already high. One hundred and thirty-eight girls in six rooms were affected. Almost everything was gone,” he said.
Although firefighters succeeded in bringing the blaze under control, six dormitory rooms were destroyed, leaving 138 students without accommodation. The affected students were safely evacuated, and no injuries or fatalities were recorded.
The cause of the fire is yet to be established, but the Ghana National Fire Service has commenced investigations.
The Municipal Fire Commander said investigators are examining several possible causes, including electrical faults, power fluctuations and the unauthorised use of electrical appliances such as iPads and box irons.
“We know for sure they have these iPads. Someone might ask, how do they charge them? We also know the use of these box irons. Some of them use them to cook,” the Fire Commander explained.
Authorities are also assessing the extent of damage to the students’ personal belongings, many of which were destroyed in the fire.
Following a visit to the school, the Wa Municipal Chief Executive, Nura Issah Danwnaa, announced temporary measures to accommodate the displaced students.
He said classrooms would be converted into temporary dormitories while efforts are made to complete an unfinished accommodation block.
“We will resort to the classrooms as an immediate measure. We also have an uncompleted block. We need to engage the contractor to fast-track the work so that we can accommodate them temporarily,” he stated.
School authorities and local officials are working together to ensure the affected students can continue their academic activities with minimal disruption as investigations into the cause of the fire continue.
Source: joynews
