OBUASI HOSPT ESTATE OFFICER, SIX OTHERS BURNT TO DEATH

Seven persons have been burnt to death in a domestic fire outbreak at Worakose, a suburb o Asante Mampong. 

 The seven include 43 year old Head of the Estates Department o the Obuasi Municipal Hospital, Pastor Isaac Botwe and his four children.

 The others are Pastor Botwe’s two who were passing the night with him after helping him to prepare some dishes to be served at his wife’s mother’s One Week observance in Takoradi.

According to the landlady of the house, Madam Elizabeth Asamoah, Pastor Isaac Botwe, his wife and their four children took occupancy of the three-bedroom apartment about a year ago. 

Pastor Botwe was however later transferred from the Mampong Municipal Hospital to the Obuasi Municipal Hospital where he was the Head of the Estates Department. 

The 43-year old man who was also a Minister of the King Jesus Ministry at Mampong Tunsuom, then intermittently returned to Mampong on visits.

 However, he recently took his annual leave and therefore returned this week to take over the domestic duties from the wife who left on the day of the incident or Takoradi for the One Week Observance of her mother’s death.  

 Pastor Botwe and his our children were joined by two of his friends, a woman and a man, who helped him to prepare some dishes to be sent to Takoradi for the One Week observance and had to pass the night in the house.

 At about 12.30 midnight, the house caught fire trapping all the seven occupants made up of Pastor Botwe, the two friends and the four children, to death.

 Even though the actual cause of the fire outbreak is yet to be detected, it is believed that it started from the kitchen where it is suspected that the fire used for the dish preparation may not have been completely put out.  

 The apartment has been completely consumed by the fire without any effect salvaged from the remnant.  

The apartment has only one entry point that also served as the exit point. Unfortunately, the kitchen from where the fire is suspected to have begun, was at the exit point while the burglar proof securing the premises against thieves, made it impossible for the occupants to escape.

 By the time fire personnel from Mampong and Ejura got to the scene about 20 minutes later, all the seven had died and the fire personnel had to break part of the building to enter to retrieve the charred bodies.

 They then had to prevent the raging fire from destroying the main building which is just some yards apart. 

And they succeeded in that mission.

Assistant Divisional Fire Officer One, Prosper Avevor Selasie, said the security arrangement in the house contributed to the death of the seven persons.

The Mampong Municipal Chief Executive, Mohammed Kojo Aboasu, was also called in to help when the fire was still raging. 

He also got the scene very early to offer help.

At the time of Ashanti Today’s visit to the scene, the family of Pastor Botwe were yet to be informed hence they had not arrived there. 

The Administrator o the Hospital, Enoch Kwasi Aporte said the bodies would be released or burial as soon as the family members arrive to conclude the formalities due to the bad state in which the bodies are.