NADMO supports Labone SHS after fire incident - GNFS suspects electrical cause

The National Disaster Management Organisation (NADMO) has donated relief items to Labone Senior High School following a fire that gutted three girls’ dormitories of the school last Sunday.

The donation, made in collaboration with the Ministry of Education and the Greater Accra Regional Coordinating Council, is to provide immediate comfort to the displaced students and support the rebuilding of the damaged dormitories.

The items included 300 pieces of mattresses, 350 pieces of plastic buckets, 350 pieces of plastic plates and cups, 20 packets of roofing sheets, two boxes of roofing nails, 350 pieces of mosquito nets and 350 pieces of blankets.

The fire, which started while students were on afternoon prep, destroyed a significant portion of the school’s residential facilities, leaving at least 400 students displaced.

In response, the school authorities had swiftly arranged alternative dormitories for the affected students while awaiting further action.

The NADMO Director-General, Major  (retd) Dr Joseph Bikanyi Kuyon, reaffirmed the organisation’s commitment to support the school.

He reiterated NADMO’s commitment to disaster prevention, emphasising the need for proactive measures to minimise future risks.

Maj. Dr Kuyon explained that the donation was part of an immediate response to provide relief to the affected students but gave the assurance that it was not the end of their support.

He expressed gratitude to all stakeholders involved in the recovery efforts, saying “we will continue to work with all stakeholders to ensure further assistance, and all of us have a responsibility to help our children cope in situations like this”.

Maj. Dr Kuyon also commended the presence of psychological experts at the school to support affected students, stressing the importance of addressing their emotional well-being. 

Commitment

The Deputy Minister of Education, Dr Clement Apaak, thanked the Headmistress, staff and the school’s management for the provision of the temporary accommodation facilities to manage the crisis.

He, however, said that ”this is only a short-term solution. The immediate action is to restore the building and make it worthy of human habitation so that the students can relocate to their original dormitories”.

Dr Apaak gave the assurance that the ministry was determined to fulfil commitments regarding the subject, stressing that “as you would have noticed, workmen are already on site to fix the building”.

Fire cause

Meanwhile, a preliminary investigation by the GNFS into last Sunday’s fire incident at the school has revealed that the blaze was caused by an electrical fault.

“Preliminary findings suggest an electrical fault as the possible source of ignition. We are currently examining the specific electrical gadgets that might have started the fire. Investigations are ongoing to determine the exact cause of the fire,” the Deputy Director of Operations at the GNFS, Assistant Chief Fire Officer (ACFO) II Kofi Forson, told the Daily Graphic last Monday.

He revealed that approximately 150 beds and numerous personal belongings of students were lost to the blaze.

There were, however, no casualties as the students were away at prep when the fire started.

ACFO II Forson stated that a distress call was received around 1:00 p.m., prompting the immediate dispatch of a fire appliance from the GNFS Headquarters.