The Ghana National Fire Service (GNFS) has announced a tragic fire incident that claimed the lives of seven family members at Akyempim in the Upper Denkyira East Municipality of the Central Region in the early hours of Saturday, November 1, 2025.
The Dunkwa-On-Offin Fire Station received the distress call at 01:04 hours and responded promptly to the fire involving a four-bedroom house numbered AA/5259/7534.
The crew arrived at the scene at 01:20 hours and discovered that one of the bedrooms in the affected house was fully engulfed in flames, secured with a padlock.
Firefighters tactically contained the blaze by 01:32 hours, successfully preventing it from spreading to the remaining three bedrooms.
Sadly, a family of seven lost their lives in the fire, including five children aged between 1 and 15, along with two adults believed to be the children’s mother and her eldest daughter, who could not be rescued in time.
Preliminary investigations indicate that the husband of the deceased woman allegedly set fire to the bedroom where the seven victims were sleeping and padlocked it from the outside before fleeing to a nearby bush, where he is believed to have taken his own life.
The badly charred bodies of the deceased were handed over to the Ghana Police Service at Atekyim for further investigation. Subsequently, the Police discovered the body of the suspect, who had hanged himself in a nearby bush.
The Ghana National Fire Service extends its deepest condolences to the bereaved family and calls on the public to remain vigilant and fire safety conscious at all times.
The Service urges the public to call the nearest Fire Station or dial the GNFS emergency numbers (112 / 0201500360 / 0302772446) immediately when fire outbreaks occur to enable firefighters to respond swiftly and save lives and property.
The Ghana National Fire Service remains committed to its core mandate of saving lives and protecting property and continues to work tirelessly to ensure the safety of all citizens.
This statement was released on Wednesday, October 5, and signed by Abdul Wasiu Hudu, Divisional Officer Grade Two (DO II), Central Regional Public Relations Officer.
