The residence of former Ghanaian president Jerry John Rawlings has been completely destroyed by fire. Aides and family members say Mr. Rawlings was not home when the blaze erupted at about 4 A.M. Sunday at his house in Ghana's capital, Accra.
The former president's wife and one of his daughters escaped unharmed.
Seth Kwame Boateng, a correspondent for Joy Fm radio in Accra told Nightline’s Akwei Thompson the fire gutted the residence. “Everything in that building has been completely destroyed – razed to the ground“ he said…“ they could not even pick a pin from that particular building.”
Boateng said he called to tell Mr. Rawlings after a neighbor called at about 5 A.M to alert the radio station about the fire.
He said the president did not respond, but called back later to say he had heard the news and that he was on his way back to Accra from the Volta Region.
The former president, who later received words of sympathy and well wishes from the current president, John Atta-Mills, former president John Kuffuor, members of the opposition, as well as other Ghanaians, drove his family away to a “safe” but undisclosed destination.
