More than 900 students of the Northern School of Business (NOBISCO) in the Tamale Metropolis have been displaced following a devastating fire outbreak that destroyed parts of the school’s girls’ dormitory, plunging the campus into distress at a critical point in the academic calendar.
The fire, which broke out on Tuesday afternoon, affected dormitory blocks that house about 900 female students, with school authorities now struggling to provide temporary accommodation for those displaced.
Fire Spread Rapidly Before Help Arrived
Speaking to the media, the Senior Housemistress, Madam Andarachi Yidusu, recounted how the incident unfolded.
“I was in my office when the alarm was raised. By the time we rushed to the dormitory, the fire had already spread,” she said.
According to her, each dormitory house accommodates approximately 200 students, and the fire has left many, particularly final-year students, stranded after losing all their personal belongings.
“This is a very difficult time for us. Most of the students affected are final-year students preparing for exams, and now they have lost everything,” she added.
Students Lose Uniforms, Books and Food Items
The inferno destroyed essential student items, including uniforms, bedding, textbooks, food supplies and other personal effects, worsening the plight of the affected students.
“They have lost their uniforms, their bedding, their books and even their food. This has made the situation very hard for them,” Madam Yidusu explained.
The school has since appealed to government agencies, old students, civil society organisations and benevolent individuals for urgent support to help provide relief items and alternative accommodation.
GNFS Confirms Incident, Details Firefighting Efforts
The Ghana National Fire Service (GNFS) confirmed the incident. According to its Public Relations Officer, Hudu Baba, a distress call was received at 14:02 hours from the National Control Room in Accra, prompting the immediate dispatch of firefighters to the scene.
“When we arrived, the upper structure of the girls’ dormitory was already engulfed in flames, and the fire had spread to several rooms,” he said.
The dormitory block contains nine rooms, of which five were affected by the fire. Firefighters managed to prevent the blaze from spreading to the remaining four rooms, including a newly constructed washroom behind the dormitory and other parts of the school.
Some items such as mattresses, boxes and uniforms were salvaged during the operation.
Cause of Fire Under Investigation
The Fire Service attributed the severity of the fire to the presence of a large number of combustible materials, particularly mattresses.
“Each room accommodates not less than 20 students, and the number of mattresses and other combustible materials increased the fire load,” Hudu Baba noted.
The cause of the fire remains unknown, and the GNFS has cautioned the public against speculation while investigations continue.
Students Granted One-Week Break
In response to the incident, the Northern Regional Minister, Adolf Ali John, announced that second-year students and those severely affected by the fire would be sent home for a one-week break.
“Due to the lack of accommodation space, we have no option but to ask the second-year students and those badly affected to go home for one week,” he said.
The break, according to the Minister, will allow students to receive guidance and counselling, recover from trauma, and replace essential items lost in the fire.
“The students are traumatised. This break will help them regain themselves and return to school better prepared,” he added.
