The National Disaster Management Organisation (NADMO) has donated relief items to Labone Senior High School following a fire that destroyed three girls’ dormitories last Sunday.
The donation, made in collaboration with the Ministry of Education and the Greater Accra Regional Coordinating Council, aims to provide immediate support to the displaced students and aid in rebuilding the damaged dormitories.
The relief items included 300 mattresses, 350 plastic buckets, 350 plastic plates and cups, 20 packets of roofing sheets, two boxes of roofing nails, 350 mosquito nets, and 350 blankets.
The fire, which broke out while students were in afternoon prep, displaced at least 400 students and destroyed a significant portion of the school’s residential facilities. In response, authorities arranged temporary dormitories for the affected students.
NADMO Director-General, Major (retd) Dr. Joseph Bikanyi Kuyon, reaffirmed the organization’s commitment to assisting the school and emphasized the importance of proactive disaster prevention measures.
“The donation is part of our immediate response to provide relief, but it is not the end of our support,” he said.
Dr. Kuyon also praised the presence of psychological experts at the school to support affected students, stressing the need to address their emotional well-being.
Commitment to Reconstruction
Deputy Minister of Education, Dr. Clement Apaak, commended the school’s management for swiftly providing temporary accommodation for the students.
“This is only a short-term solution. The immediate priority is to restore the building and make it habitable so the students can return to their original dormitories,” he said, assuring that renovation work was already underway.
Cause of the Fire
A preliminary investigation by the Ghana National Fire Service (GNFS) suggests the fire was caused by an electrical fault.
“Preliminary findings indicate an electrical fault as the likely source of ignition. We are examining specific electrical gadgets that might have triggered the fire,” said Assistant Chief Fire Officer (ACFO) II Kofi Forson.
He revealed that about 150 beds and numerous personal belongings were lost in the blaze. However, there were no casualties, as students were away at prep when the fire started.
ACFO II Forson added that a distress call was received around 1:00 p.m., prompting an immediate response from the GNFS headquarters.
