Residents of Brewie in Axim in the Western region are in a state of shock after an 80-year-old woman and her son, 55, were killed in a fire outbreak.

The two were burnt to death when the building in which they slept, caught fire in the early hours of Friday, July 21 between 1:30 – 2 am.

According to Joy News’ Francis Wajah, some residents recapped how they were in a hearty chat with the two individuals at about 9 pm on Thursday evening before the incident.

The man whose name was only given as Kwamena is a divorcee with three children who live with their mother in another area.

His deceased mother, Maame Esi Akyere, was reported to be ill and had come to stay with her son only for the two of them to be burnt to death. 

Assembly man for the area, Frank Boafo said the two had lit a candle but they fell asleep without putting it out. According to him, the candle lit some papers and materials and engulfed the room in a big fire.

He said they tried to save the old lady who was sleeping in the outer room but they were challenged as they did not find enough water around to put out the fire.

Brewie is a developing community with most of its residents yet to connect the national electricity grid. 

“Because of that, the practice of sleeping with a candle or other alternative means of lighting is rampant,” the reporter said.

Officers of the Ghana National Fire Service said they received a call at about 2:38 am and they rushed to the scene but the residents had extinguished the fire.

The two had burnt when they arrived; Kwamena was dead but his mother had some life in her.

She was rushed to the Axim Government Hospital where she passed on.

The bodies have been deposited at the hospital morgue while the family awaits autopsy from the Hospital.

The police have started investigations into the circumstances that led to the death of the two.