Santasi fire victims buried
Hundreds of mourners yesterday thronged the forecourt of the Santasi Ahenbronum Palace to pay their last respects to the three females who perished in a fire outbreak at Santasi in June this year.
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The three — Mrs Rebecca Osei, alias Ataa Maame, 48; her niece, Lydia Antwi, 18, who was writing her Basic Education Certificate Examination (BECE), and Mrs Osei’s maid, Lydia Amadu — got burnt beyond recognition when fire engulfed their one-bedroom house at Santasi.
There was weeping and wailing as the caskets containing the remains of the deceased were lined up in the open for the burial service that was officiated by Pastor Stephen Kofi Anokye, the Head of the Ashanti South Central Conference of the Seventh-Day Adventist (SDA) Church.
Mourners, majority of whom were women, asked the spirits of the deceased to avenge their death, since they believed the fire outbreak that had led to their demise had been orchestrated.
Many had still not come to terms with the death of Ataa Maame and her daughters, who were food vendors at the Santasi Taxi Rank.
They suspected that the fire had deliberately been set by someone with the aim of killing the occupants of the room.
Libation
Before the Christian burial on Sunday, the families of the deceased slaughtered a ram at the fire scene and poured libation to pacify the gods and also called on the deities to intervene in the death of their kin.
Tributes
In a tribute to his wife, Opanyin Kontoh described her death as a big blow to the family, as she had been its pillar.
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He said Ataa Maame was a very loving and hard-working person who loved everyone and worked to support the family.
He said it was through her assistance that the family was able to put up a storey building at Brofoyedru, where they live.
Sermon
In a sermon, Pastor Anokye asked the people not to ascribe reasons to events that occurred to humans in their daily lives.
He said even if what happened had been occasioned by a human being, that should be left to the investigative authorities to unravel.
He asked the families not to mourn their departed relatives but believe that they were resting in the Lord and that they would meet on the day of the resurrection.
Background
On June 17, 2016, fire engulfed the room in which the three were sleeping, burning them to death.
The fire, which started around 1 a.m., started from the wooden structure which served as a kitchen and entrance to the room and trapped the three, making it difficult for them to escape.