A tragic fire in Jacobu, the capital of the Amansie Central District, has claimed the life of a seven-year-old girl. The blaze, which broke out at dawn on Saturday, was intensified by fuel stored in the house—an increasingly common practice in the area due to illegal mining (galamsey) activities.
According to Evans Yeboah, the District NADMO Director, many residents store large quantities of petrol in their homes as part of an underground fuel trade. “Every household here is keeping petrol, and that is the main cause of fire disasters”.
The seven-bedroom house that caught fire will be demolished for safety reasons. Relief items are being prepared for affected residents, and authorities have vowed to step up enforcement after completing 70% of a district-wide public education campaign.
Yeboah emphasized that the issue has been raised at stakeholder meetings, citing the ongoing fuel storage as a serious security threat. Illegal mining continues to contribute to dangerous practices like unregulated fuel storage, putting entire communities at risk.
