General News of Sunday, 8 October 2017

Source: starrfmonline.com

Fire ravages Asuom SHS Boys Dormitory, suspect arrested

Fire ravaged Asuom SHS Boys dormitory Fire ravaged Asuom SHS Boys dormitory

Part of the Boys’ Storey Dormitory block of the Asuom Senior High School in the Kwaebibrem District of the Eastern has been razed down by fire Sunday.

The incident occurred while the students had left to church hence no casualty was recorded.

However, the fire has burnt to ashes all belongings of about 30 students. Items destroyed completely are books, uniforms, provisions, Sandals, mattresses, money among others.

Meanwhile, an old student and a final year student has been held by the Police to assist in investigating the incident which Police suspects to be arsonist attack.

Due to exhibits of kerosene substances retrieved from the scene and attempt by the Old student suspect to go into hiding after the incident.

A Teacher who is also an Assembly Member for the Area, Abrefa Busia, narrated to Starr News that “It was around 8:40 am ,I share boundary with the school dormitory that is the Boys dormitory to be precise ,so I was in the house washing my car and I realized there was a smoke emitting from the school dormitory so I called on one other guy and jumped the wall into the school, when we got there all the students were at church service ,so we realized there was thick smoke coming from about three rooms of other building ,so we went round called the students and the house master and we started to quenching the fire, invited the fire service and were able to extinguish the fire outright preventing it from spreading to other rooms “.

According to him, about 30 students lost everything and have been displaced by the incident.

” So as we speak, about 30 students to be precise, according to assessment by NADMO’s figure have been affected greatly, they got all their belongings burnt accept what they wore to church service this morning.The structures of the building have cracked, all the plastering have dropped.It is a storey building.Some 20 students got some of their belongings burnt, others managed to retrieve their trunks”.

He stated that classrooms are being prepared to serve as a temporal accommodation for the displaced students.

Meanwhile, Mr Busia confirmed to Starr news that the Police has arrested an old student who was invited by a final year student to take part in the “homos night ” program held Saturday on suspicion of arson.

He said the suspect attempted to run away after the incident whiles initial investigation has revealed possible arson following the retrieval of a bottle with the smell of kerosene in the affected room adding that the smell of kerosene has been noticed with sprinkles around the storey dormitory.