“The cause of the fire is not yet known. We are yet to engage with school authorities,” Baba Hudu, the Fire Service’s Public Relations Officer, told JoyNews.

An anonymous student said the fire started while they were preparing for classes. “We saw smoke coming from the roof of the dormitory, and soon after, the fire started,” the student explained.

The Fire Service responded promptly and contained the flames, preventing further damage to the rest of the building. School authorities have not yet commented on the incident.

This is the second fire at the Tolon SHS girls’ dormitory, following a similar blaze in 2022.

The incident comes amid a worrying trend in the region, as just last week, the girls’ dormitory at the Northern School of Business (Nobisco) was gutted by fire, displacing about 900 students who are now awaiting arrangements to resume classes.

The Fire Service has launched an investigation into the cause of the Tolon SHS fire, but no definitive explanation has yet been established.

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The girls, who have not been seeded in the past 10 years, came close but could not reclaim their past glory.

The contest started with a nail-biting first round, where YAGSHS trailed Adonten SHS by just a single point 14 to 15. It seemed like anyone’s game, with both schools neck-and-neck.

However, as the rounds progressed, Adonten SHS pulled away, widening the gap and leaving YAGSHS unable to catch up.

By the final buzzer, Adonten SHS secured their qualification with 48 points, leaving YAGSHS and Tolon SHS out of the competition.

YAGSHS, whose last seeding was in 2014, had high hopes of making a comeback this year, but the gap proved too wide to bridge. Despite their fierce effort, it was not to be for the girls this time around.

However, all hope is not lost for the warriors of Yaa Asantewaa. There is still a possibility that they may proceed to the one-eighth stage, depending on their standing in the top runners-up ranking at the end of the day’s contests.

The final ranking will determine whether YAGSHS can move forward as one of the top runners-up and keep their NSMQ dreams alive.

For now, Yaa Asantewaa Girls SHS and their supporters wait anxiously for the final results, hoping their performance is enough to secure them a second chance in the competition.

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The Tolon Senior High School has been temporarily closed down after fire ravaged parts of the girls’ dormitory on Thursday, May 19.

According to the school’s management, the decision was reached after an emergency meeting to allow the students stay home for a week, while authorities make alternative arrangements.

Some of the students have also been given temporary abodes within the community.

A report by JoyNews’ correspondent, Martina Bugri, revealed the fire started at about 9 am on Thursday morning and destroyed the entire top floor of the girls’ dormitory which accommodated over 600 students.

A student, Dauda Zakiya who lost all her belongings could not hold back her tears. “I have lost everything, this bag is the only thing I have”, she said.

Zakiya said she had to support her parents to be able to buy the list of items on the prospectus before she came to school.

“It wasn’t easy for my father to buy me these things. They bought some and I also bought some, I was selling dates during the fasting season”, she added.

Headmaster of the School, Mohammed Issifu, says there are ongoing attempts to convert some classrooms and a compound house belonging to the Assembly into hostels when students resume.

“The Assembly has a compound house in town and with the school’s situation, we are trying to see if we can convert some of the classrooms into dormitories but we need time”, Mr. Issifu said.

Public Relations Officer of the Ghana National Fire Service, Baba Hudu said the fire was so intense that they had to dispatch several other fire tenders to the school to be able to bring the fire under control.

He said the entire first floor of the building was damaged.

According to Mr. Hudu, they have advised authorities of the school to get experts to assess the block before they take a decision to reconstruct the building.

“The extent of damage was because of the distance, we all know that Tolon has not got a fire station even though the Assembly has built one, and is yet to be handed over to us. The speed ramps on the road, we could count up to 23,” he said.

Fire has engulfed portions of the girls’ dormitory at Tolon Senior High School (SHS) in the Northern Region.

The fire that started around 8:am on Thursday completely destroyed the top floor of the girls’ dormitory before the firefighters were able to control it.

Students’ belongings ranging from uniforms, chop boxes, and mattresses, among others, were lost to the fire, leaving students stranded.

The Northern Regional PRO of the Fire Service, ADOII Baba Hudu confirmed the incident to Adom News.

He said they received a distressed call from the school and quickly rushed to the scene but some properties had already been destroyed.

Though the cause of the fire is yet to be established, he explained the firefighters saw an electric heater connected to power and suspects that might have triggered it.

ADOII Hudu indicated investigations are underway.

He has, therefore, cautioned the students to be very careful with electric power in their various dormitories to help prevent future occurrences.

Meanwhile, the school management has directed over 600 students to return home following the fire incident.

The students are expected to return in a week’s time as authorities strive to make temporary arrangements including converting some classrooms into dormitory blocks.