Tragic Fire Claims Life of Baby Girl in Sunyani West Municipality

A devastating fire in Odumase, Sunyani West Municipality, has claimed the life of a nine-month-old baby girl, leaving the community in mourning.

The blaze, which occurred early Saturday morning (11 January), engulfed an eight-bedroom house in the Bono Region. The fire started around 6:40 a.m., while the baby, the only casualty, was still asleep in her room.

Despite desperate efforts by the child’s parents, Abigail Nketiah Yeboah and Alexander Amoah, along with nearby residents, to rescue her, the intensity of the flames prevented them from reaching the baby. Eyewitnesses described the scene as heart-wrenching, with thick smoke pouring from the house.

“We saw the smoke coming out from Brother Alex’s room, and we quickly contacted the Ghana Fire Service. Each time we called, they told us they were coming, but it took them two and a half hours to arrive at the scene,” said Emmanuel Asante and Clifford Nyarko, who alerted authorities and attempted to help.

By the time the fire service arrived, the inferno had already caused significant destruction, leaving behind charred remains and unmeasurable grief for the family.

Kwame Adomako, the Public Relations Officer (PRO) for the Bono Regional Ghana National Fire Service (GNFS), confirmed that the team received the distress call at 7:45 a.m. and responded promptly. He expressed concern over the rising frequency of fire outbreaks in the region, urging greater caution to prevent further tragedies.

“Property is lost, and the unfortunate demise of the innocent baby girl—this alone should be enough for us to recognise that the new trend of fire outbreaks is concerning. We must be careful,” Adomako said.

Authorities are currently investigating the cause of the fire, but the exact source of the blaze remains unknown at this stage.