Fire incidents: Dr. Apaak visits Tolon SHS, Pong-Tamale

Deputy Education Minister Dr. Clement Abas Apaak has assured authorities of Tolon Senior High School and Pong Tamale Senior High School of swift government support following a fire outbreak in the girls’ dormitory.

Dr. Apaak toured the Pong Tamale SHS and Tolon SHS, following the incidents in the Northern Region after two rooms of the girls’ dormitory were destroyed by fire, with a third room partially damaged, leaving 346 students displaced.

He explained that his visit was at the instruction of the Minister of Education to obtain first-hand information on the possible cause of the fire and assess the level of destruction.

The assessment, he said, would enable him submit a detailed report to guide immediate measures required to restore teaching and learning at the school.

“The Minister of Education instructed that I pass by and receive first-hand information about what may have occasioned the fire, the level of destruction, so that I can give him a report on immediate steps that can be taken to ensure that teaching and learning resumes,” he told the accompanying media.

The deputy minister noted that he had personally observed the extent of damage to the affected dormitory blocks, including the destruction of students’ books and other learning materials.

He indicated that understanding the scale of loss was critical to determining appropriate emergency interventions.

Dr. Apaak also revealed that management of the school informed him of an earlier fire outbreak in 2018, which resulted in abandoned boarding facilities.

He said the loss of those facilities had contributed to long-term overcrowding in the dormitories, placing additional strain on existing infrastructure.

He assured school authorities that their concerns would be formally communicated to the Minister of Education, Haruna Iddrisu, for consideration as part of both immediate and longer-term solutions.

Firefighters were able to respond quickly and contain the blaze, preventing it from spreading to other parts of the dormitory block.

School authorities are yet to issue an official statement on the incident.

The latest outbreak is the second fire to affect the girls’ dormitory at Tolon SHS, following a similar incident in 2022, raising renewed concerns about boarding conditions at the school.