Premix committee donates to fire victim
The National Premix Fuel Committee (NPFC) has presented an undisclosed amount to the family involved in the Nkwanta fire disaster.
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Three children were burnt to death when fire gutted their father’s residence at Nkwanta in the Volta Region last week.
The names of the children have been given as Francis Adjei, 11, Wisdom Bediako, eight, and Gifty Bediako, three.
The children’s father, Kwesi Bediako, sustained serious injury and is on admission at the Nkwanta District Hospital.
The Chairman of the Committee, a body mandated to oversee the allocation, distribution and sale of premix fuel in the country, Mr Kweku Sersah-Johnson, handed over the money to the victims’ family when he led other members of the committee to visit him at the Burns Unit of the Korle-Bu Teaching Hospital in Accra last Friday.
The committee members were at the hospital to sympathise with the patient, Mr Mark Kwesi Bediako, 34, who sustained serious injury last Thursday when the fire gutted his residence.
Ensure safety
Mr Sersah-Johnson described the fire incident as unfortunate and cautioned the public to be careful in handling premix fuel.
He explained that premix fuel was mainly for fishing and must not be kept in homes.
“We are here to sympathise and give the family some little token. I will not disclose the amount but this is something for their upkeep.”
“As a committee, we will decide on what to do further. We are now on the tour of the landing beaches and decided to pass through,” he stated.
Lighted match
The Nkwanta South District Police Commander, Superintendent Joseph Ackah, said the fire started around 6:15 a.m. in an area called English Arabic at Nkwanta when one of the children lighted a match.
The fire from the match was said to have caused five drums of premix fuel stored in the house to explode, setting the house ablaze.
According to Mr Ackah, the police mobilised personnel of the Ghana National Fire Service (GNFS) from the Nkwanta South and Nkwanta districts to extinguish the fire.
He explained that although the fire was eventually brought under control after three hours, it was too late for any of the children to survive.
Appeal
Recounting the incident to the Daily Graphic, Mr Bright Bediako, the younger brother of Mr Bediako, said he left home early, while the brother was still home.
“Around 8:30 a.m.,” he said, “someone saw me and asked what was happening in our house? I rushed home and saw our house burning. I can’t explain the cause; my brother is the only person who can narrate the cause,” he said.
Mr Bediako said his brother was responding to treatment but complained of the lack of adequate funds.
According to him, the family for two days had spent about GH¢4,000 on medication, and appealed to individuals and institutions for support.