Residents of Anlokope, a fishing community in Ankobrah in the Ellembelle District in the Western Region, went to bed on Saturday with sad memories when fire burnt a one-year-old baby to death. The incident occurred when the mother of the child, whose name was given only as Madam Atsukpui, had gone out at about 7 pm to buy medicine for one of her twin children who was indisposed. Sadly, before she could return, the fire had consumed everything including the female twin, also identified as Atsukpui, who was asleep on the bed. Speaking to the Daily Graphic, the Presiding Member of the Ellembelle District Assembly, Mr Dominic Nyanzu, who was part of the rescuers, said the mother of the child returned from the market to realise that one of her twins was ill. He said after carrying out the household chores and preparing evening meal for the family, she then took the male twin, called Atsu, who was ill, to the town for medication from a chemical store, while the female twin slept in the room. The Presiding Member said a few minutes after their mother had left, a six-year-old brother of the twins went into the room with locally made kerosene lamp (uplighter) to pick something. Mr Nyanzu said upon entering the room, the boy, whose name was not immediately available, placed the lamp on the bed and went out of the room after he had finished with what he came to do. He said the kerosene in the lamp might have leaked, causing the fire which led to death of the one-year-old child. He said “the intensity of the fire and the fact that the building was constructed with combustibles, made it difficult to rescue the child and their properties.” Members of the community said since they saw the brother of the twins outside they did not anticipate that there was anybody in the room until the mother rushed to the house with only one of the twins. “It was then she told us that the twin sister was sleeping on the bed while she was away with the twin brother for some medication,” they said. Currently, the woman has lost everything and the only thing left on her was the clothes she went out in. The District Chief Executive for Ellembelle, Mr Daniel K. Eshun, visited the scene and said everything possible would be done to ensure that the woman was supported. The body of the child has been deposited at the Axim Government Hospital in the Nzema East Municipality.