An Army corporal with the Central Command of the Ghana Armed Forces (GAF), his pregnant wife, their two-year-old daughter, as well as his niece, were burnt to death when fire engulfed their wooden apartment at the old Uddara Barracks in Kumasi last Saturday.
The soldier, whose identity was given only as Cpl Tani, and his family were trapped in the fire which lasted less than one hour.
Two other families in the same wooden block, however, managed to escape unhurt but lost all their belongings to the blaze.
The bodies of the deceased have since been deposited at the Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital (KATH) mortuary.
It took the intervention of personnel of the Ghana National Fire Service (GNFS) to prevent the fire from spreading to other buildings in the vicinity, near the Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital (KATH).
The cause of the fire is yet to be ascertained by the GNFS.
According to an eyewitness, around 10:20 p.m., tenants on the block heard a loud noise from the corporal’s side of the block and got out, only to see smoke bellowing from his apartment.
He said due to the heat emanating from the apartment, the other tenants were unable to get closer to rescue the soldier and his family.
Instead, the other tenants had to run for their lives, leaving behind their personal belongings.
When contacted, the Public Relations Officer of the Central Command of the GAF, Lieutenant Christiane Osei-Duah, confirmed the incident but declined to give the names of the deceased because she was yet to receive clearance from the headquarters of the GAF to do so.
She said last Saturday night she received a call that a structure at the old barracks was on fire.
She then called the GNFS, which responded by dispatching two fire engines and personnel to bring the fire under control.
However, she said due to the nature of the building and its location, the fire officers could not get access to the place and, therefore, had to stand afar to fight the fire.
Lt Osei-Duah said the GNFS managed to put the fire under control around 10:45 p.m. but explained that because the structure was wooden, the whole flat was razed down.
Meanwhile, the two families who lost their belongings in the fire incident have been given temporary accommodation at the new 4BN Barracks Complex at Nyankyereniase, near Kumasi.
The General Officer Commanding the Central Command, Brigadier-General Joseph Adu-Boampong, and the Commanding Officer of the Fourth Battalion (4BN), Lieutenant Colonel Salifu Fuseini, both visited the scene and pledged to support the affected victims with relief items.
