Three siblings die in suspected bedbugs insecticide mishap

Police in the Ashanti Region are probing the heartbreaking demise of three siblings suspected to have succumbed to an insecticide used to combat bedbugs in the room where they slept. 

The incident unfolded on December 28, 2023, in Asawase in Kumasi, leading to the death of 15-year-old Judith Ekua Frans and her siblings, 11-year-old Christian Magdaline Efua Frans and six-year-old Nana Benin.

A report by Citinewsroom.com states that, the trio had visited their 66-year-old grandmother, Ekua Gyaabena in Asawase for the school holidays. The children's uncle, Anthony Frans, applied the insecticide to disinfect the room against bedbugs while preparing for their stay.

The family slept in the treated room that night, only to be found unconscious the following morning. They were rushed to the hospital, where Christian Magdaline Efua Frans and Nana Benin tragically passed away upon arrival. Judith Ekua Frans and the grandmother were admitted but, sadly, Judith Ekua Frans later succumbed while on admission.

The incident has plunged the community into grief, with the Assembly Member for the Asawase East Electoral area, Mathew Amissah, describing it as a tragic event that prompted police involvement. Anthony Frans, the uncle who applied the chemical, was arrested and detained as part of the ongoing investigation.

In court on Tuesday, January 9, 2024, Anthony Frans faced a provisional murder charge, with prosecutors seeking time to continue their investigations. Defense Counsel Evans Amankwaah, however, successfully petitioned for bail, emphasizing that his client deserved the right to bail during the ongoing investigation.

The accused was granted bail with a sum of GH₵20,000 and two sureties. The Asawase East Assembly Member has initiated public engagement on the proper use of chemicals for disinfection purposes in the wake of the tragedy. The bodies of the deceased have been deposited at the morgue for preservation and autopsy, with the case adjourned until January 23, 2024.