A fire on Monday morning at Tolon Senior High School’s girls’ dormitory traumatised over a hundred students, destroyed part of the dormitory block, and caused extensive damage to school property and students’ personal belongings. Several students were reportedly in critical condition following the incident.
The affected dormitory block, which consists of ten rooms on both sides of the building, saw two rooms completely burnt. Items destroyed in the blaze included school beds, chop boxes, mosquito nets, students’ books, and other personal effects. The incident has left several students displaced as school authorities begin assessing the full extent of the damage.
According to the Regional Public Relations Officer of the Ghana National Fire Service, ADO1 Awudu Baba, a distress call was received early in the morning, prompting the immediate deployment of firefighters to the scene. Due to the intensity of the fire, additional reinforcement teams were dispatched. The combined efforts successfully prevented the fire from spreading to the entire block.
No fatalities were reported. However, some students, affected by severe fear and panic during the outbreak, were rushed to hospital for medical attention.
Preliminary reports suggest that an electrical fault may have occurred the previous day, which students allegedly reported to school authorities, but no immediate action was taken. Firefighters are still investigating the cause of the fire.
ADO1 Awudu Baba said, “This morning at about 07:21 hours, we received a distress call reporting a fire outbreak at Tolon Senior High School involving the girls’ dormitory. Our men from the Sagnarigu Municipal Fire Station were immediately dispatched to the scene. Upon arrival, additional reinforcement was needed due to the intensity of the fire.”
Affected students have been asked to stay home for one week to allow them to recover from the psychological trauma and to give the school time to put measures in place to safely accommodate them upon their return. A similar fire incident occurred just last week at NOBISCO Senior High School, raising concerns among stakeholders.
ADO1 Awudu Baba emphasized that the recurring fire incidents in the region are worrying. He assured the public that officers are conducting thorough investigations to determine the causes and implement measures to prevent future occurrences.
He noted, “Last week, we responded to a fire at NOBISCO involving the girls’ dormitory. At this same school, we recorded a similar incident in 2021 and again in 2022, also involving the girls’ dormitory. We are committed to investigating each case to get to the root of the problem and address it once and for all.”
He added that firefighting is a shared responsibility, urging the public to adhere to safety measures and provide accurate information when required. He said, “We are on top of our game; however, we sometimes face challenges because firefighting is a shared responsibility.”
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