96 people dead in Ghana fuel station explosion

At least 96 people have been confirmed dead in an explosion at a fuel station in the Ghanaian capital Accra.

The dead were among hundreds who were seeking shelter at a fuel station during torrential rain that battered Accra for more than five hours on Wednesday night.

“So far, we have retrieved 96 bodies from the wreckage,” Billy Anaglatey, deputy public relations officer of the Ghana National Fire Service, told Anadolu Agency at the scene. “We have sent the bodies to the mortuary while the ambulances rushed the injured people to the hospital.”

Stranded residents of Accra who were fleeing the night’s torrential rains had been seeking refuge at high grounds and open spaces, including the gas station.

Vehicles and buildings were submerged in the rains that flooded the capital.

Thousands of passengers were stranded because vehicles were avoiding travelling through the floods and hundreds of people spent the night in their offices and on rooftops.

Local radio stations were inundated with distress calls, while the National Disaster Management Organization made up of a joint team of military, police and fire service personnel embarked on a rescue mission to evacuate people using navy boats.

Ghanaian President John Mahama who visited the accident site Thursday morning said he was devastated by the news.

“This loss of lives is catastrophic,” Mahama said. “A lot of people have lost their lives."

Anadolu Agency