About 200 security personnel drawn up from the Police and Military service, have been deployed to the scene of a fatal gas explosion that occured at the Atomic Junction off the Madina-Haatso road.
Deputy Minister of Information, Hon Kojo Oppong Nkrumah, confirmed this to the media a short while ago
The fire was first noticed by attendants at a gas station when LPG that was being discharged at Atomic Junction started to leak.
The station attendants saw the leak and evacuated the area. The leaked gas had by then formed a cloud in the sky above the station.
According to reports, a khebab seller opposite the station then started a fire to sell his product (chinchiga).
Unfortunately, the fire shot up into the air and connected with the "gas cloud"; catching fire instantly.
The first explosion was said to be so severe that students of Presec, Legon had to be evacuated.
The sky lit up at about 7:30pm, and from a distance of about 30km away, the explosion could still be visible in the cloudy skies.
Two more explosions subsequently followed causing passers by, commuters and residents in the area to run helter-skelter.
Residents of Haatso, Madina and UPSA area abandoned their homes for dear life.
Details of the gas explosion are still sketchy.
It is unclear if the fire that led to the gas explosion was as a result of an accident or non-adherence to proper safety procedures, but what initially compounded rescue operations, Peacefmonline understands, was the sudden thunderstorm that hit certain parts of Accra, minutes after the gas explosion.
At least 5 cars are said to have been torched, while 7 people are reported to have died.
132 suffered various degree of injuries and were admitted at the 37 Military Hospital, Madina Polyclinic, Pentecost Hospital, Legon Hospital, and the Police Hospital
64 have been discharged, whiles 68 are still on admission.
Personnel from the Fire Service and Police Service are said to be at the scene.
Meanwhile, commuters are advised to keep off the road leading to Madina, Adenta, Oyarifa, Aburi and use alternative routes for now.
Source: Peacefmonline.com
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Govt should be closing gas and fuel stations located inbetween houses and tensely populated areas and not radio stations and banks. Let us get our priorities right.
We are here talking about nuclear power... even gas is killing us....all those so called energy expect in Ghana will always talk of nuclear...without knowing which measures to put in place. nuclear will kill millions if it explodes.
there is gas filling station next to mandela market,near melcom in agona swedru, over n over ppl in swedru voice out it must be remove,but nothing have been done about it.
Why this my fellow Ghanaian? Don't you know your fellow human beings are in trouble now? You'll be sensible when you later that your relatives are burnt.
Total Rubizh from the first poster.
Very Stpid post from the first person who commented.
***barred word*** post from the first person to comment.
It's on Ghanaweb that Lordina Mahama is consoling the families of victims who may have died or may have been injured in the unfortunate incident. I wonder why they only come out to talk when they hear such about such incidents, when there is a calamity. Did she not hear about the free SHS's being rolled out and benefiting sooooo many children and relieving their parents of the hardships under her husband's administration? Yaanom waiting for only news about calamities, smh.