A tragic fire in Akyempim, Upper Denkyira East Municipality of the Central Region, claimed the lives of a mother, her five children, and a grandchild in the early hours of Saturday, November 1, 2025. Authorities suspect the estranged husband, Yaw Afriyie, of deliberately starting the blaze.
The Ghana National Fire Service (GNFS) responded to an emergency call at 1:04 a.m., dispatching a team that arrived within 16 minutes. Firefighters managed to bring the flames under control by 1:32 a.m., but the bedroom, padlocked from the outside, left all seven occupants trapped.
The victims included Ama Dapaah, her five children aged between seven months and 17 years—Maame Yaa, Kobby Snr, Kwame, Kobby Junior, Maame Anima, and Kwodwo—and a grandchild.
Preliminary investigations by the GNFS and police indicate that Afriyie, a farmer and small-scale miner with a history of domestic abuse, may have intentionally set the fire. He had previously served three months in prison for inflicting injuries on two of his children, who had been hospitalized for several months.
Following his jail term, Afriyie reunited with his wife and family, but reports suggest that abuse continued. On the night of the fire, he reportedly confronted his wife around midnight and escorted her to the house before the fatal incident. Afriyie’s body was later discovered hanging from a tree in a suspected suicide.
The Upper Denkyira East Municipal Police Commander, Deputy Superintendent of Police Simon Boavo, confirmed that Afriyie had previously threatened to kill his wife and commit suicide, although no formal reports had been made.
The GNFS described the incident as a tragic loss and urged the public to remain vigilant about fire safety. The victims’ bodies are currently at the Dunkwa Municipal Government Hospital mortuary, pending post-mortem examinations, before being released to the families for burial.
