The woman, identified as Pearl Arlu, and her daughter Shamalisa Arlu - one year old, were among six persons sleeping a two-bedroom apartment at Mataheko Mars School Junction when the incident happened about 3 am Thursday morning.
The body of the baby was found partially burnt in the living room of the burnt apartment, while that of the mother was located a few meters away
Meanwhile the other four , including Don Arlu, husband of the deceased, and their two other children - Prophet Arlu, 5; Jerson Arlu, 3 and one Greham, 13- year-old younger brother of the deceased woman, survived and are currently on admission at the Korle Bu Teaching Hospita.l
It is believed that the fire outbreak was caused by a lit candle in the living room.
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Mr Arlu told the police on his sick bed that they had lit a candle when a power outage occurred last Wednesday night, but contrary to the usual practice of putting the candle in a metal bowl filled with water, the candle was put in a bowl without water.
Ophelia Ampadu, an eye witness narrated that "around 3am while we were asleep, we heard Don Arlu shouting for help inside the room and when they came out the whole house was filled with smoke."Other neighbours joined so we fetched water to put out the fire and managed to save Prophet, Jerson and Greham” she continued.
She said the lights went off at 9 p.m. last Wednesday “and as of the time I was going to bed, the power had not been restored. I do not even know when the light came on”.
Ms Ampadu, who said she had lived in the house for three years, stated that the Arlu family moved to the house barely two year.
The case was reported to Dansoman Police about 7 a.m. on Thursday morning.