The District Chief Executive for Gomoa East in the Central Region, Solomon Darko Quarm, is urging persons renting or putting up structures within the Gomoa enclave to endeavour to create some exist points in the apartment in the unlikely event of a disaster.
His comment comes after a family of seven got trapped and died in a fire outbreak at their home.
The family were unable to break through an iron burglar proofing at the main entrance of their apartment nor the window to escape the fire.
Solomon Darko Quarm explained that the disaster should be an eye opener to all to endeavor to create exit points in their residential apartments to prevent such from reoccurring.
“It is a harrowing experience. What did the harm was the burglarproof because it couldn’t allow them to escape. It is an eye opener to the rest of us that much as we are trying to secure our families through this medium, we have to take a second look at it that in case of emergencies we know how to escape. We have to be very careful with our fire situations in our homes so that at least we will avoid such occurrences,” he said.
While mourning the deceased persons, he said the assembly will wait for the official report on the situation including the cause of the fire from the Ghana National Fire Service.
“Gomoa East as a district, we are seriously bereaved and we urge all to come and commiserate with us because we have lost greatly; seven people in one inferno. We will wait for the official report on the situation,” he added.
The deceased persons are a 60-year-old man, his wife and five children, including a four-month-old baby. The man has been identified as Robert Assan Donkoh.
According to some neighbours who spoke to Citi News, they heard the victims screaming for help from their apartments at around 5:00 am on Saturday, January 15, 2022.
Fire officers say the cause of the fire is not yet known, but they will immediately commence investigations into the incident.