Correspondence from the Eastern Region

A devastating early morning fire at Kodjona in the Lower Manya Krobo Municipality of the Eastern Region has claimed the lives of two adults - a couple, while leaving a their four-year-old child in critical condition.

The Zonal Director of the National Disaster Management Organisation (NADMO) for Kodjona, Alormenyo Joycelyn Dansowaa, confirmed the incident in an interview, stating that she received a distress call at approximately 7:15 Tuesday morning, and immediately rushed to the scene.

She immediately alerted personnel from the Ghana National Fire Service in Somanya, who responded promptly to contain the blaze.

According to eyewitness accounts, the fire is believed to have started around 6:30 AM, trapping the couple and their young son inside their residence. The child, aged four, survived the incident but remains in critical condition and is currently receiving treatment at hospital.

The two adults, whose identities were not immediately confirmed, were later pronounced dead at the Atua Government Hospital. Their bodies have since been deposited at the facility’s morgue pending preservation and autopsy.

Preliminary information gathered at the scene suggests that the couple had begun their morning routine before the incident. The woman was reportedly preparing clothes for washing, while the man had stepped out earlier to purchase insecticide to treat a bedbug infestation in their room.

The tragic incident drew a large crowd of residents and onlookers, including the Municipal Chief Executive for Lower Manya Krobo, John Atter Matey, who visited the scene.

Police personnel from the Odumase Krobo Police station, were also present to secure the area and facilitated the transfer of the deceased to the hospital.

The cause of the fire remains unknown, and investigations are ongoing to determine the circumstances that led to the outbreak.

Authorities have urged the public to observe fire safety precautions as inquiries continue.