Gas tanker overturns on Kasoa - Accra road
There was pandemonium on the Weija-Kasoa highway in the early hours of yesterday when a gas tanker heading from Kasoa in the Central Region to Alajo in Accra overturned at Tatop, near Old Barrier.
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Eyewitnesses said the accident occurred at 5 a.m. when the driver of a private vehicle, in an attempt to make a U-turn, crossed the gas tanker.
The tanker driver, in his bid to avoid a collision, tried to stop but the vehicle skidded off the road and overturned.
Run for life
Drivers and passengers in other vehicles on the road got down and fled for fear of a possible explosion.
While many of them ran towards the bush, a small number decided to wait and see what would happen.
The situation caused a massive traffic build-up on both sides of the dual carriageway for about six hours.
A few minutes after the accident, personnel of the Ghana National Fire Service (GNFS) arrived at the scene with two water tankers and began to drench the gas tanker with water to prevent any explosion.
Personnel from the Accra Regional Police Command also arrived to provide security and ensure that there was no interruption.
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The gas tanker is said to belong to Trinity Oil Company.
Injuries
Although there was no casualty, the driver of the tanker and his mate, whose identities were not immediately known, sustained some injuries.
The driver is said to have sustained injuries on his right thigh and left leg when he attempted to get off the truck by squeezing himself through a little space after the tanker had overturned.
The Accra Regional Police Commander, Commissioner of Police (COP) Dr George Akuffo Dampare, said the two injured men were sent to the Korle Bu Teaching Hospital for treatment.
He explained that the reason it took the police and the GNFS a long time to allow drivers to ply the road was to ensure that there was no trace of gas on the road.
“The road is one of the busiest roads in the region and we had to take our time to ensure that it was safe for commuters to use,” Dr Dampare said.
The Greater Accra Regional Operations Officer of the GNFS, Mr Emmanuel Ofori Adjei, said although there was no leakage of gas, the overturned gas tanker posed danger.
“We wanted to cool the gas tanker and because of that we used foamy water to drench it,” he added.