A community in the Upper Denkyira East Municipality has been left reeling after a deadly house fire claimed the lives of seven family members in Akyempim in the early hours of Saturday. The incident is suspected to be a murder-suicide initiated by the head of the household.
The Ghana National Fire Service (GNFS) confirmed that a distress call was received at 1:04 a.m. by the Dunkwa-On-Offin Fire Station. A response team rushed to the address, but upon arrival at 1:20 a.m., one of the bedrooms was already consumed by flames and secured with a padlock.
Investigators believe the man intentionally set the room ablaze while his wife and six children were asleep, locked the door from outside, and fled into the night. He was later found dead in a nearby bush, where he had reportedly hanged himself.
Fire personnel managed to contain the blaze by 1:32 a.m., preventing it from spreading through the rest of the building. Sadly, the occupants — children aged between one and 15 years, their mother, and her eldest daughter — were already deceased by the time help arrived. Their charred remains have since been handed over to the police as part of ongoing investigations.
The GNFS extended condolences to the bereaved relatives and reminded the public of the importance of fire safety vigilance. The service also encouraged citizens to promptly call 112, 0201500360, or 0302772446 in the event of fire emergencies.
