14-year-old JHS student dies after allegedly setting herself ablaze at Mpraeso Amanfrom

A 14-year-old final-year Junior High School 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 before being referred to the Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital (KATH) in Kumasi, where she later died.

Conflicting accounts

The circumstances surrounding the incident remain unclear, with members of the deceased’s family giving different accounts over an alleged pregnancy and whether it may have contributed to the incident.

Keziah’s grandmother, Madam Christiana Nkansah, told local reporter Osofoba Enoch that the family had been informed that the incident could have followed a dispute involving a young man who allegedly denied responsibility for the pregnancy.

According to her, Keziah made some disclosures while receiving treatment before her death.

However, the teenager’s mother and sister have disputed the pregnancy claim.

While acknowledging that Keziah was in a relationship with a young man, they maintained that she was not pregnant and believed other circumstances could have contributed to the incident.

They have called for a thorough investigation to establish the circumstances that led to her death.

The allegations concerning the pregnancy and the reported dispute have not been independently established.