Bushfire claims life of three-month-old baby
Bushfireclaims life of three-month-old baby
1 February 2008
published by www.myjoyonline.com
Ghana — A three-month-old baby was burnt to death in a bushfire, which razedthrough Afokpakope, near Kpetoe in the Adaklu-Anyigbe District on Wednesday.
A middle-aged woman also suffered severe burns from the fire, which consumedthree thatched-roofed houses in its trail.
Mr Joy Agbleze, Public Relations Officer of the Volta Regional Directorate ofthe Ghana Fire Service, told the Ghana News Agency in an interview at Ho thathis office received a distress call around 1400 hours but before a fire tendergot to the community in about 15 minutes, the blaze had gutted the community,killing the child and burning down the houses.
Mr Agbleze attributed the cause of the fire to excessive desire by someselfish people for game and firewood.
The Adaklu-Anyigbe District has so far recorded 21 bushfires, the highest in theregion over the last year.
Mr Agbleze urged political leaders, chiefs and opinion leaders in the Districtto take measures to reduce the trend.
Generally, he also expressed worry about increasing incidence of fire disastersin the first four weeks of the year in the region and suggested that taskforcesbe formed in the communities to investigate and cause the arrest of people whoset bushfires.
