3 UDS students injured by fire

Three students of the Wa Campus of the University for Development Studies (UDS), sustained injuries, after fire had swept through their rooms last Tuesday dawn.

The students – Grace Ankrah, 25, Beatrice Bampoe, 24, and Bridgette Pamphil Boateng, 24 – have been flown to the Korle Bu Teaching Hospital for further treatment because of the extent of the burns they sustained.

The incident occurred when they tried to light their gas stove to prepare breakfast after they had returned from a socialisation programme at dawn.

Gas stove

The fire caused extensive damage to all the victims’ personal belongings and destroyed three of the rented 12-apartment students hostel. 

According to a team of firefighters, led by Mr James Ankrah, the acting Wa Municipal Fire Officer, it received a distress call at about 3.45 a.m. and arrived at the scene promptly to put out the fire.

He said when the flames became intense, the frightened victims rushed into another room, where they were rather trapped by the fire, which had also extended to that area.

The screams for help by the victims attracted the attention of their neighbours who used different gadgets to break into the building to rescue them.

Leaking valve

According to Mr Ankrah, initial investigations indicated that the fire was caused by a leaking valve of one of the gas cylinders of the students. 

Narrating the incident to the Daily Graphic, eyewitnesses including Mr Razak Iddrusu, the landlord, said some of the people in the neighbourhood responded to the calls for help to rescue the victims.

Mr Iddrusu said after they had been rescued, they were rushed to the Wa Government Hospital but they were flown to the Korle Bu Teaching Hospital (KBTH) for further treatment.

When the Daily Graphic visited the KBTH, four doctors were seen busily attending to the students.

According to some of the health officials, the students would have to undergo series of tests and surgery which were expensive.

Some family members of the victims who looked traumatised asked for help from the general  public to facilitate the treatment of their wards.