A 10-month-old baby girl has died in a tragic house fire at Pakaho, a cocoa growing community in the Amanfi Central District of the Western Region, disaster management officials have confirmed.

The National Disaster Management Organisation (NADMO) has also identified a 42-year-old man and a five-year-old girl as victims who died after suffering severe burns in the process.

NADMO’s preliminary investigations indicate that one of the rooms with fuel deposits caught fire when the five-year-old was playing with matches while her parents were outside the house.

Tenants displaced

Some tenants have been displaced as the Friday fire swept through at least six rooms.

A Zonal Coordinator for NADMO Isaac Kobina who confirmed the incident to Asaase News said the charred bodies have since been released to the families for burial.

“My investigations indicate that the five-year-old girl lighted a match stick and was playing with it…and so the naked flame was exposed to fuel deposits in the room causing an explosion,” Kobina said.

“So far at least five tenants were displaced and we are exploring other avenues to shelter them. I have conveyed the message to my superiors for swift action. We have told the occupants that the house will be demolished to prevent any further disaster,” he added.

Source: Jonathan Ofori / Asaaseradio