Calamity befell the Sekondi-Takoradi Metropolis of the Western Region during the Christmas festivities as five persons – three kids and two male adults – lost their lives under bizarre circumstances.
Three beautiful female kids, aged between one and three year – being children of two rivals – were burnt beyond recognition when fire gutted the wooden kiosk in which they were sleeping, while the two male adults were allegedly swept away by the sea.
The fire incident happened at Ebiriwfum (a place where charcoal is sold) in Amanful, a suburb of Takoradi, around 1:30 am on Sunday.
According to sources, the mother of two of the kids lit a candle in the wooden structure, left the kids there, locked the door with a padlock and went out to buy some beverages.
The residents alleged that no sooner had the woman left than they saw smoke emanating from the kiosk.
They indicated that efforts to break the door delayed because of the padlock, but the harm had already been done when the door was finally forced opened and the fire put off.
Initial reports were that the father of the kids burnt his three children to death after a disagreement with his wife Saturday dawn – a story the police had debunked.
When DAILY GUIDE contacted Supt Peter Ofori Donkor, Takoradi District Police Commander, he confirmed that three children were burnt in the incident.
He said that at about 2:30 am on Sunday, the police had a report that there was a fire outbreak at Ebiriwfum at the Takoradi Market Circle. He said police moved to the scene and it was observed that a kiosk was totally destroyed by the inferno.
The District Police Commander added that the bodies of the three children were sent to the Effia-Nkwanta Regional Hospital in Sekondi for a pathologist to examine.
He indicated that the police had officially written to the personnel of the Ghana National Fire Service to give a report about the incident.
“Not until the fire personnel give their report, the police would not know the exact cause of the fire,” he added.
2 Drown
In another development, the bodies of Bright Larbo, a 22-year-old Takoradi Polytechnic student and Nasiru Amoah, 24-year-old welder, were seen having been washed ashore at the Albert Bosumtwe-Sam Fishing Habour in Sekondi Sunday morning.
The two – all residents of Bakado near Sekondi – were reported to have gone to the beach to swim on Christmas day, December 25, in the company of a third person whose name was only given as BB, but did not return. Eyewitnesses said they saw the three persons drowning but with the help of some revelers, one of them (BB) was rescued. All efforts to save the other two did not materialize.
The tragic incident was reported to the police and immediately a search party was formed to begin a rescue mission with support by the residents. However, the bodies of Bright and Nasiru could not be found until Sunday, December 27, when their lifeless bodies were reportedly washed ashore at the same beach where they allegedly got drowned.
Nasiru Amoah, a Muslim, was buried hours after his body had been retrieved.
The body of Bright, who was the only person with her mother since the woman’s husband died about five years ago, had been deposited at the Effia Nkwanta Regional Hospital for autopsy.
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