The late Keziah Mirekua
A 14-year-old final-year Junior High School (JHS) student has died from severe burns after allegedly setting herself ablaze at Mpraeso Amanfrom in the Kwahu West Municipality of the Eastern Region.
The deceased, Keziah Mirekua, a student of Mpraeso Amanfrom Basic School, reportedly poured petrol on herself and set herself on fire at a school park in the community at about 10 a.m. on Sunday, October 11, 2026.
She was rushed to the Holy Family Hospital at Nkawkaw for emergency treatment and later referred to the Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital (KATH) in Kumasi, where she died.
Conflicting Accounts
The circumstances surrounding the incident remain unclear, with the deceased’s family divided over claims that an alleged pregnancy might have contributed to the tragedy.
Her grandmother, Madam Christiana Nkansah, told Osofoba Enoch, a local reporter in the community, that the family had been informed that the incident might have stemmed from a dispute involving a young man who allegedly denied responsibility for the pregnancy.
She said Keziah made some disclosures while receiving treatment before her death.
However, the teenager’s mother and sister have disputed the pregnancy claim. Although acknowledging that she was involved in a relationship with a young man, they insist she was not pregnant.
They believe other circumstances might have led to the incident and are calling for a thorough investigation to establish what happened.
The allegations surrounding the pregnancy and the reported dispute have not been independently established.
FROM David Afum, Kumasi