22 Injured in fuel explosion

Twenty-two persons, mostly fishermen, were injured, some severely, in an explosion during a scramble for premix fuel at the Abrofo Mpoano premix station close to the Cape Coast Castle in Cape Coast.

The injured have been taken to the Ewim Polyclinic and the Metro Hospital, while two persons who are critically injured have been referred to the Cape Coast Teaching Hospital.

The incident that occurred around 10.15 a.m. last Thursday took personnel of the Ghana National Fire Service about two hours to bring the fire under control.

When the Daily Graphic arrived on the scene, some residents were trying to douse the fire on sections of the affected area.

Cause of explosion

Eyewitnesses said they were not certain what had caused the explosion.

"We were scrambling for the fuel. Everybody wanted to buy. We just heard a loud noise and then the fire started spreading quickly. I had to run fast," Egya Enu said.

But he did not run without being injured. Both his legs were in bandages and he sat in a wheelchair at the Ewim Government Hospital.

Property running into thousands of cedis were destroyed. Some canoes were also burnt.

Fire Service officials are not sure what actually ignited the fire but said investigations had begun.

The Central Regional Public Relations Officer of the Ghana National Fire Service, Assistant Division Officer (ADO) II, Abdul Wasui Hudu, said most of the materials at the site were combustible and fuelled the fire speedily.

Insufficient supplies

A member of the Premix Committee, Mr Kwesi Sekum, said the heat in the place increased with the people swarming the place, saying it was possible that must have caused the fire.

He said there was always a shortage in premix, necessitating the crowds to scramble for it once it was available.

A coordinator for the Ntsin Anaafo Electoral Area, Mr Isaac Ekow Dick, said the hospital bills were being borne by the Premix Committee.