Fire has gutted a dormitory block at the Ahantaman Girls’ Senior High School (SHS) in the Sekondi -Takoradi Metropolis.
The fire reportedly started after all the students had left for their classrooms.
The inferno destroyed beds, chop boxes, books and other items belonging to the students.
Confirming the incident, Chairman of the Parents, Teachers Association (PTA) of Ahantaman Charles Mintah said preliminary observations suggest that the fire may have been caused by an electrical fault.
He said although firefighters from the Ghana National Fire Service (GNFS) responded on time to douse the fire, the majority of the damage had already been done.
“Trunks, beds, bed sheets, provisions, books, and other belongings of students amounting to thousands of Ghana Cedis have been completely burnt.
“It will be difficult for their parents to replace the burnt items immediately. We are, therefore, calling on organisations, philanthropists and other individuals to come to the aid of the school and the students,” he said.
The fire outbreak which engulfed the entire first floor of the building occurred in the afternoon of Monday, July 8, 2024.
No casualty was recorded.
School authorities suspected a gas cylinder in one of the rooms could have caused the incident.
Fortunately, the GNFS responded promptly and managed to douse the flames before spreading to other dormitories.
In October 2023, the boys’ dormitory of the Simms Senior High School in the Kwabre East District of the Ashanti Region was also gutted by fire.
The incident happened while students were in class.
Several items of the students were burnt, leaving many of them displaced and counting their loss.
The timely intervention of personnel from the Ghana National Fire Service ensured the fire was contained from spreading to other facilities on campus.