Gas explosion: Station owner and two others die.

Three persons, including the owner of the Engas Filling Station at Asokwa in Kumasi, who sustained between 70 and 90 per cent burns during the explosion at the filling station, have died at the Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital (KATH). A source at KATH which confirmed this in an interview named the dead as Patience Owusu Barnieh, 33, the owner of the station; Innocent Addo, 27, and Kwaku Agyei, 30 ,both workers of the filling station. Patience died on Monday, while Innocent and Agyei gave up the ghost on Saturday and Sunday respectively. The source said four others currently on admission at the hospital were, however, in stable condition. When the Ashanti Regional Minister, Mr E.A. Owusu-Ansah, visited the victims at the Burns Intensive Care Unit a day after the incident, doctors said the deceased persons were in critical but stable condition but unfortunately they could not survive the ordeal and passed away. According to the source, those on admission would need plastic surgery to correct the deformities resulting from the burns. However, this must be preceded by curing the injuries sustained, without which plastic surgery would not be successful. Meanwhile, the regional minister has said the various bodies tasked to investigate the incident have presented their reports to him. They include the police, the Fire Service, the Architectural and Engineering Services Limited and other security agencies. Mr Owusu-Ansah told the Daily Graphic that he was only waiting for estimates from the quantity surveyors to enable him to present the various reports to the Regional Security Council (REGSEC) for discussions before the final report would be submitted to the government for further action.