A 28-year-old mother of three, together with her daughter, was yesterday burnt to death in a fierce fire that gut­ted their two-bedroom self-contained apartment at Mataheko in Accra.

The woman, identified as Pearl Arlu, and her daughter Shamalisa Arlu - one year old - were among six persons sleeping in the room when the fire started.

The four others, including Don Arlu, husband of the deceased, and their two other children - Prophet Arlu, 5; Jerson Arlu, 3 and one Greham, 13- year-old younger brother of the deceased woman, survived the heart­rending incident.

They sustained minor burns in the blaze and are currently receiving treatment at the Korle-Bu Teaching Hospi­tal.

Eyewitness account indicates that the fire was caused by a candle the couple lit following the power outage in the area.

 Ophelia Ampadu, a neighbour narrated that "around 3am while we were asleep, we heard Don Arlu shouting for help inside the room and when they came out the whole house was engulfed in smoke.

"Other neighbours joined so we fetched water to put out the fire and managed to save Prophet, Jerson and Greham she continued.

She said the deceased had lived in the area with the husband, Don Arlu, and their three children for the past two years.

It was quite recently that Greham also moved in to live with the couple.

Madam Ampadu said Shamalisa, the little girl who was in the same room with the mother, was already dead when they entered their bedroom with intent to save them.

According to her Madam Pearl Arlu was burnt severely and so she was rushed to the Korle-Bu Teaching Hospital for treat­ment, but died on admission.

Around 7am a relative of the deceased arrived from Akosombo and reported the incident to the Dansoman police for investigations.

A police team led by the Danso­man District Police Commander, DSP Stephen Ahiatafu, visited the scene.

The bodies of the mother and daughter have been deposited at the Korle-Bu Teaching Hospital Morgue.