123 Sustain Burns from Gas Blaze

Over 123 casualties were recorded when a gas filling station exploded in Kumasi on Friday evening. The ENGAS Filling Station at Asokwa was the source of a huge blaze after a gas delivery tanker caught fire and exploded, gutted the filling station and created panic resulting in multiple accidents about 400 metres away from the scene. Ten of the victims, including the owner of the filling station are said to be in intensive care at the Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital while several other victims were said to be responding to treatment. Several vehicles were also burnt to ashes, while two garages and a local restaurant were also razed. Officials of the fire service could not readily tell the cause the explosion. Eye-witnesses however said the station was taking delivery of fresh gas stocks when the tanker accidentally exploded, setting off several other explosions of other cylinders and sending trails of fire in all directions. The MP for Asokwa, Maxwell Kofi Jumah says he is coordinating information to enable him find assistance for victims of yesterday’s explosion. He told JOY News that from available information, the explosion was not as the result of the location of the filling station but a fault with the gas tanker.