A fire outbreak at the girls’ dormitory of Wa Islamic Senior High School in the Upper West Region has destroyed a dormitory block, leaving several students displaced and their personal belongings damaged.
The incident occurred around 7:30 pm on Sunday, August 2, when most students had left the dormitory for their evening academic activities.
According to the Headmaster of the school, Al-Hassan A. Bafara, the fire started after sparks were noticed in the dormitory, prompting authorities to quickly raise an alarm and alert emergency responders.
“We observed some sparks in the dormitory and immediately raised the alarm. We called the Ghana National Fire Service and the police, and within about 30 minutes, the fire was brought under control,” he said.
Mr Bafara explained that no student was injured or killed in the incident, but several students lost personal belongings and were left emotionally affected by the situation.
He added that students whose dormitory was affected have been asked to temporarily return home, while other boarding students have been moved to available classroom blocks as measures are taken to restore normal activities.
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 pm and immediately deployed personnel to the school.
He said firefighters arrived to find one of the girls’ dormitory blocks completely engulfed in flames.
According to him, the affected block contained five rooms, with each room accommodating approximately 30 students. He noted that combustible items, including mattresses, books and clothing, contributed to the quick spread of the fire.
The Fire Service has commenced investigations into the cause of the outbreak but has not yet revealed any possible explanation, pending the outcome of its assessment.
Authorities are currently evaluating the extent of damage and working on arrangements to support affected students while efforts continue to ensure academic activities return to normal.
