Flooding in Ghana's capital swept stored fuel into a
nearby fire, setting off a huge explosion at a gas station that killed over 90
people and set alight neighboring buildings, authorities said Thursday. The
blast took place as dozens of people sought shelter at the gas station and in
nearby shops in central Accra to escape the torrential rains. The disaster
raised anew concerns over the city's inadequate infrastructure.
TV footage showed corpses being piled into the back
of a pickup truck and other charred bodies trapped amid the debris. Floodwaters
around the site hampered rescue and recovery efforts. Officials at the nearby
37 Military Hospital said its morgue had reached capacity. President John Dramani
Mahama visited the scene on Thursday, calling the death toll
"catastrophic" and offering condolences to families of the victims.
The flooding "caused the diesel and petrol to
flow away from the gas station and a fire from a nearby house led to the
explosion," said Billy Anaglate, spokesman for Ghana's national fire
service. In addition to the dead at the gas station, local media reported that
many drowned in various parts of the city following two days of torrential
rains. The combined death toll from the explosion and flooding is expected to
rise. Anaglate said precise figures were not available at midday Thursday.
The explosion is likely to intensify criticism of
the government's failure to improve the infrastructure. Though the downpours
this week have been especially bad, heavy rains in June are not unusual yet
drainage systems in Accra remain inadequate. The area where the blast occurred
is a heavily trafficked section of central Accra with several banks and other
offices in addition to residences. Multiple bus terminals connect the area to
the rest of the city.
Throughout Accra, drivers caught in the flooding
abandoned their cars on the road. The Education Ministry instructed all
children who were not already at school Thursday morning to stay home.
Source: AP/abc
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