Wa, April 04, GNA - Part of the main barracks housing personnel of the Ghana Prisons Service in Wa was gutted by fire last Sunday, resulting in the destruction of properties belonging to two prisons officers.

Apart from what they wore for duty at the Prisons on that day, Sergeants Gifty Wagbil and Casper Amekuse lost all their belongings and were now living with friends.

An eye witness account said a small column of smoke was seen in one of the affected rooms on the top floor of the one-storey building before the fire erupted and spread to other rooms before personnel of the Ghana National Fire Service arrived to save the situation.

The cause of the fire and the extent of damage are being assessed. Mr Ambrose Dery, Upper West Regional Minister who visited the barracks to inspect the extent of damage and console the victims, presented one million cedis to each of them.

The Upper West Regional Secretariat of the National Disaster Management Organisation also presented three bags of rice, cooking oil, blankets and mats to the victims.

Mr Dery said the presentation were a token gesture to enable them continue with their lives while the damage was being assessed. He told the victims to take heart and regard the loss of their property as an act of God, saying what had been lost could be replaced immediately.

The accommodation problem facing the service, he noted were of serious concern to Government and a way would be found to ease them. Mr Joseph Kwaw Yankson, Upper West Regional Commander of the Service thanked the Regional Minister for his quick response to the plight of the victims.