Koforidua: Tragic fuel reservoir incident claims three lives

In Koforidua in the Eastern Region, a tragic incident which occurred on Monday has prompted the Koforidua Effiduase District Police Command to launch an investigation. 

Three technicians lost their lives inside a reservoir situated at the Ghana Cocoa Board (COCOBOD) office. This event, which occurred on Monday, has left the community in a state of shock and grief.

The individuals involved have been identified only as Ashie, Octopus, and Jonathan,

They are suspected to have died of suffocation.

They were part of a five-member technical team contracted to perform maintenance on the fuel reservoir at the COCOBOD office.

The said fuel dump tank is owned, used and managed by Produce Buying Company (PBC), a limited liability company.

The exact circumstances leading to this suffocation remain unclear. Regrettably, in an attempt to rescue their colleague who had entered the reservoir, two other workers also met the same tragic fate.

Prompt reporting of the incident by colleagues at the scene led to a swift response from the relevant authorities.

An emergency response team, comprising personnel from the National Disaster Management Organisation (NADMO) Municipal Secretariat, Effiduase Police Command, Ghana Ambulance Service, and the Ghana National Fire Service, quickly arrived on-site to assist in retrieving the victims' bodies from the underground tank.

Mr. Kankam Twumasi Daniel, the Deputy Municipal Director of NADMO for New Juaben North, said the police have initiated investigations to ascertain the circumstances surrounding the incident.

Furthermore, Mr. Twumasi Daniel noted that the deceased have been transported to St. Joseph’s Hospital mortuary in Effiduase for preservation and autopsy.