Two young brothers were tragically killed in a fire that engulfed their home in Akyem Oda last Sunday night.
The fire, believed to have been caused by a brazing torch, also injured three other residents and destroyed property worth thousands of Ghanaian cedis.
The deceased have been identified as Clement Agyei, 6, and Desmond Karikari Agyei, 4, both students at the Ridge Experimental Basic School in Oda.
Their mother, Madam Bernice Karikari, a 36-year-old hairdresser, along with her daughters Ereka Gyekyewaa, 14, and Blessing Agyeiwaa, 9, managed to escape the blaze with injuries.
According to a neighbour, Madam Mary Brew, the fire broke out around 11 pm on Sunday. She initially thought thieves had invaded the house upon hearing Madam Karikari’s screams for help. Witnessing the flames, she raised the alarm, attracting a crowd to the scene.
Tragically, the victims’ bedroom door was locked, preventing immediate entry. Thankfully, a student staying in another room, Kwadwo Baah, managed to break into the room and help Madam Karikari and her daughters escape.
Efforts by bystanders to extinguish the fire with buckets of water proved futile until the arrival of Ghana National Fire Service personnel. By then, the fire had consumed the entire house, leaving the two young boys trapped inside.
The Oda Municipal Police Commander, Chief Superintendent Mr. Daniel Amoako, confirmed the incident and stated that an investigation into the cause of the fire is underway.
Madam Karikari and her daughters received treatment for their injuries at the Oda Government Hospital and have since been discharged. The bodies of the two deceased brothers are currently at the hospital morgue awaiting autopsy.
