The Gomoa Senior High Technical School (GSTS) at Gomoa Dawurampong in the Gomoa West District of the Central Region has been closed down after fire gutted a section of the girls’ dormitory block last Tuesday evening. 

The deputy Central Regional Minister, Mrs Queenstar Maame Pokuah Sawyerr, officials of the Ghana Education Service, the district assembly and the National Disaster Management Organisation (NADMO) took the decision after assessing the situation.

The prefects’ dormitory, executive dormitory and Dorm 1, which were occupied by 189 female students, have been completely destroyed.

The cause of the fire has not been established yet since the Ghana National Fire Service is still investigating the incident.

The fire was said to have been detected around 7:40 pm by Ms Florence Esi Dickson, the Senior Housemistress, whose apartment is adjoined to the six-unit dormitory block.

When she, her assistant and another male teacher watching TV sensed that something was burning, they quickly came out of the room and found smoke coming out of the prefects’ dormitory. All of a sudden, the fire spread to the other dormitories, destroying all the belongings of the affected students.

The intervention of fire personnel from Agona Swedru, Winneba and Apam helped bring the fire under control.

The victims had their uniforms, trunks, ‘chop boxes’, mattresses, footwear, textbooks and exercise books all burnt to ashes by the fire. Also destroyed were undisclosed amounts of money.

According to information gathered by this reporter, two of the students collapsed due to the loss of their items but were rushed to a nearby CHPS Compound where they were treated and discharged.

The fire also caused severe damage to the affected building and cracks could be seen on it.  However, there was no casualty, since all the students were at evening prep when the fire started.

Mr Anthony Jacklingo Kweku Quansah, the headmaster of the school, told the Daily Graphic in an interview that the tragedy would affect the school’s academic calendar.

He stressed that the incident created a chaotic scene as some miscreants took advantage of the situation to steal some belongings of the students.

According to him, the situation in the school needed an urgent solution, since the students did not have anywhere to sleep now.

He made a passionate appeal to the government and the GETFund to release funds immediately for the completion of two 10-unit dormitory blocks that had been abandoned by the contractor due to lack of funds.