At least six deaths have been recorded following Saturday morning’s road fire accident involving multiple cars at Signboard near Okanta, off the Accra-Nsawam Highway.
The accident involved a petrol tanker carrying about 54,000 litres of fuel, a VIP bus, three saloon cars, and four motorcycles.
These vehicles were engulfed in flames and extensively damaged.
Three deaths were confirmed at the scene, with their charred bodies handed over to the Ghana Police Service for autopsy.
A further three later died at the Koforidua Regional Hospital, where they were referred from Nsawam Hospital.
They included two males and a female.
Meanwhile, seven victims comprising two male children, four male adults, and one female are in critical conditions receiving treatment at the Koforidua Regional Hospital.
The Ghana National Fire Service also confirmed that three victims who were receiving medical attention at Nsawam hospital had been discharged.
Cause
In a statement issued on Monday, the Fire Service said investigations are underway to ascertain the cause of the accident.
However, it said preliminary assessments established that sparks were generated during attempts by some individuals to illegally breach the petrol tanker using cutting tools.
This is suspected to have ignited petrol vapours, leading to the intense fire that engulfed vehicles travelling along that road at the time of the incident.
“The swift intervention of firefighters prevented a potential explosion. The fatalities were reportedly trapped by the sudden fire following ignition of the petrol vapour cloud.”
Meanwhile, the Ghana National Fire Service cautioned the public against fuel siphoning.
It urged the public to stay away from accident scenes involving flammable substances and to immediately alert emergency services.
Story by Hajara Fuseini
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Source:
opemsuo.com