Fire in built environment

A horrific fire has ravaged a ten-storey building in Berekum, in the Bono Region, rendering many residents, including students from the Berekum College of Education (BECOLED), homeless.The inferno turned personal possessions into ashes, with victims losing laptops, books, academic certificates, learning materials, clothing, and other valuables.The affected students characterised the event as a significant setback, expressing that it occurred at a crucial point in their academic journey, with only about two months remaining to complete their studies.The landlord, Nana Osei Amankwaa, stated that he was asleep when neighbours informed him that the building was ablaze.He recounted that he hurried outside only to discover the house engulfed in flames.He claimed that repeated calls to the Ghana National Fire Service (GNFS) station in Berekum did not elicit an immediate response due to the fire tender being out of service.He mentioned that a fire tender was eventually sent from Sunyani, but by the time firefighters arrived, a considerable portion of the building had already been destroyed.One of the affected students, Prince Ofosu Agyemang, remarked that the victims had lost nearly everything necessary to complete their academic program and were uncertain about how they would proceed with their education.The victims have reached out to the government, corporate organisations, philanthropists, and the general public for relief items and financial support to assist them in rebuilding their lives and continuing their studies.In the meantime, the cause of the fire remains undetermined, with investigations currently in progress.