A policewoman Inspector Kate Hawa Kwakuru, 45, and her three children died in a gas explosion at Ablekuma Fan Milk in Accra last week.
The children were identified as Emmanuel Adjei, a 22-year-old student of Ghana Telecom University College; Ebenezer Yansom Kwakuru, 9, and her 11-year-old daughter, Joy Yansom Kwakuru.
Some senior police officers from the Accra Regional Police Command yesterday visited the residence of the deceased.
The delegation led by DCOP/Mr. Frederick Adu Anim, the regional commander, and his deputy, DCOP Emmanuel Afriyie Sekyi, was given first-hand information during the commiseration visit.
A family spokesperson told the delegation that Inspector Kate Hawa Kwakuru who lived in Techiman with her husband (a soldier) and their three children visited her aged parents on January 4, 2020 when the incident occurred.
“Joy Nmon Nobeh Kwakuru and Emmanuel Adjei died on the 8th of January while receiving treatment at the Korle-Bu Teaching Hospital while Inspector Kate Kwakuru and Ebenezer Kwakuru died the following day,” the family said.
The Divisional Commander for Odorkor, ACP Samuel Alortey; ACP Lydia Donkor, Head of Legal and Prosecution at the Regional Command; DSP Effia Tenge, the regional PRO, among others, were part of the delegation.
The regional commander promised support from the Police Administration for the bereaved family.
The policewoman and her children attended a church service on the day of the incident and upon their return that afternoon they decided to prepare their evening meal when the fatal explosion occurred.
The spokesperson identified only as Sarah said “there was no gas in the cylinder and so Inspector Kate Kwakuru sent a neighbour to the nearest filling station for a refill. Before the gas arrived, Inspector Kate started with the food preparation on a coal pot outside the kitchen and when the guy who was sent to buy the gas arrived they asked him to place it in the kitchen.
“Upon discovering that the cylinder was leaking, the deceased took it outside in the course of which the heat from the coal pot appeared to have triggered an explosion. The kids who were at the entrance of the kitchen cooking had burns alongside their mother.
“They were rushed to the Korle-Bu Teaching Hospital for treatment around 2pm but unfortunately they could not get a doctor to attend to them until 9pm that fateful day,” the spokesperson said, adding that the conditions of the burned persons deteriorated with each passing day until Emmanuel and Joy died on Wednesday, January 8, 2020 followed by Kate the following day.
A one-week funeral service for the deceased persons will be observed on January 17, 2020 at Fan Milk, the family has announced.
(lindatenyah@gmail.com)
By Linda Tenyah-Ayettey