Fire destroys 10-room building in Berekum, displacing students and residents

A fire destroyed a 10-room storey building at Berekum in the Bono Region, displacing students of the Berekum College of Education (BECOLED) and other residents. The blaze reduced personal belongings to ashes, with victims losing laptops, books, academic certificates, learning materials, clothing, and other valuables. The affected students described the incident as a major setback, saying it comes at a critical stage of their academic journey with only about two months left to complete their studies.

The landlord, Nana Osei Amankwaa, said he was asleep when neighbours alerted him that the building was on fire. He alleged that repeated calls to the Ghana National Fire Service (GNFS) station in Berekum did not receive an immediate response because the station's fire tender was out of service. A fire tender was later dispatched from Sunyani, but a significant portion of the building had already been destroyed by the time firefighters arrived. Prince Ofosu Agyemang, one of the affected students, said the victims had lost virtually everything they needed to complete their academic programme and were uncertain about how they would continue their education. Investigations into the cause of the fire are underway.