A fire has ravaged the girls' dormitory at Jacobu Senior High Technical School in the Amansie Central District, Ashanti Region, just days before the affected students are set to participate in the 2024 West African Senior School Certificate Examination (WASSCE).

The the incident which has left the students stranded, consumed the dormitory along with their educational materials, practical tools, equipment, clothing, and personal belongings.In a viral video, the commentator believed to be a student, revealed that the fire was caused by her colleague attempting to cook rice with a gas cylinder, which unfortunately sparked the blaze.

Meanwhile, the school authorities and the Ghana National Fire Service are yet to release an official report on the cause of the fire.As a result, the victims have appealed to the government for for support in acquiring educational materials to aid their preparation for the final exams.

The loss of practical tools is particularly alarming, as they are essential for the students' exam preparations.WASSCE is a standardized test written by final year students in West Africa.

The exam commenced on Monday, August 19, 2024.

Students who pass the exam receive a certificate confirming their graduation from Secondary education.

A total of 460,611 candidates, including 212,954 males and 247,657 females from 1,003 Ghanaian schools are participating.

While 1,000 centers nationwide are hosting students to write this year’s exams.

Fire destroyed the girls' dormitory at Jacobu Senior High Technical School in the Amansie Central District of the Ashanti Region, causing them to lose their practical tools and equipment just days before their final exams (WASSCE). pic.twitter.com/euCO59DPX5— EDHUB🌍ℹ (@eddie_wrt) August 21, 2024

This incident follows another recent fire at Ahantaman Girls' Senior High School in the Sekondi-Takoradi Metropolis, which destroyed a dormitory block on Wednesday, July 17.

The fire occurred while students were in their classes, leaving five of them with all their belongings destroyed.

Chairman of the Parents Teachers Association (PTA), Charles Mintaba, who spoke with the media stated that he suspects an electrical fault may have caused the fire.

The fire destroyed trunks, beds, bed sheets, provisions, books, and other belongings amounting to thousands of Ghana cedis.Firefighters from Sekondi responded quickly to contain the blaze.

“Though the exact cause of the fire has not been established, an electrical fault is being suspected”.“Trunks, beds, bed sheets, provisions, books, and other belongings of students amounting to thousands of Ghana Cedis have been completely burnt”.

To replace the items lost by the students, Mr Mintaba has called on organizations, philanthropists, and individuals to extend a helping hand.“It will be difficult for their parents to replace the burnt items immediately. We are, therefore, calling on organisations, philanthropists and other individuals to come to the aid of the school and the students,” he pointed out.