Regional News of Monday, 17 February 2014

Source: Daily Guide

Fire kills girl, 7 at Michel Camp

Residents of First Battalion of Infantry Military Barracks at Michel Camp, Tema, are in a state of shock following two separate incidents which claimed three lives last Friday.

Apart from Corporal Fred Nasrame who allegedly shot and killed his wife, Corporal Antoinette Agbagba before committing suicide with a locally manufactured pistol, a seven-year-old primary three pupil of Garrison School, Jessica Asare, had also met her untimely death when wild fire gutted their house while she was fast asleep with her brother in their apartment.

Information gathered by DAILY GUIDE indicates that Corporal Asare, the father of the deceased, had gone out to buy food for the children, only to return to meet his house in flame.

His son was reported to have escaped unhurt while the daughter was trapped in the room and burnt to death.

The Ashaiman Fire Service was quickly called to the scene to help put out the fire which had completely burnt the house.

A search was also conducted in the burnt building in an attempt to trace the deceased’s charred body.

The remains of Jessica have been deposited at the 37 Military Hospital Morgue in Accra while the police are currently collaborating with the Fire Service to investigate the matter.

The cause of the fire, which started at about 7:30pm, has been attributed to an electrical fault which the Fire Service is yet to confirm.

Superintendent Kwesi Ofori, Dodowa District Police Commander confirmed the incident to DAILY GUIDE noting, “We are investigating the matter together with the Ashaiman Fire Service.

The police received a report about a fire outbreak at the camp and we deployed men to the scene without wasting time and further called the Fire Service to fight the fire.”

Several attempts to get in touch with the Fire Service for their side of the story proved futile.