A fire outbreak has gutted the girls’ dormitory at Wa Islamic Senior High School (SHS) in the Upper West Region, forcing dozens of students to evacuate and destroying personal belongings worth thousands of cedis.
The incident occurred at approximately 7:30 p.m. on Sunday, August 2, shortly after most students had left the dormitory for evening studies, helping to prevent injuries and a possible tragedy.
According to the Headmaster, Al-Hassan A. Bafara, school authorities noticed sparks coming from the girls’ dormitory while a few students were still inside. The situation prompted an immediate emergency response, with the Ghana National Fire Service (GNFS) and the Ghana Police Service alerted to the scene.
“We observed sparks in the dormitory and immediately raised the alarm. The Ghana National Fire Service and the police responded quickly, and the fire was brought under control within about 30 minutes,” the headmaster explained.
Fortunately, no deaths or injuries were recorded during the school fire.
However, many students lost essential personal items, including clothing, books, mattresses, and other valuables, leaving several of them emotionally distressed.
As a temporary measure, the affected students have been asked to return home, while other boarding students have been relocated to available classroom blocks to ensure academic activities continue.
The Upper West Regional Public Relations Officer of the Ghana National Fire Service, DOII Idrisu Imran, said the Service received a distress call at about 7:45 p.m. and immediately dispatched a fire engine to the school.
He disclosed that by the time firefighters arrived, one of the girls’ dormitory blocks had already been completely engulfed in flames.
According to the Fire Service, the damaged block contains five rooms, with each room accommodating approximately 30 students. The rapid spread of the blaze was fueled by highly combustible materials, including mattresses, textbooks, school uniforms, clothing, and other personal effects.
The Ghana National Fire Service has launched investigations into the incident but has not yet disclosed the cause of the fire, stating that investigations are still ongoing.
Meanwhile, school authorities and emergency officials are assessing the full extent of the damage while working on measures to assist the affected students and restore normal teaching and boarding activities as quickly as possible.
Source: newsthemegh.com