Seven dead and 68 injured in major gas explosion in Ghana

Authorities in Ghana said at least seven people were killed and dozens injured after an explosion at a gas station in the capital.

Ghana’s Information Ministry said on Sunday that 68 people were hospitalised following the accident.

Dramatic video of the explosion late Saturday posted on social media showed a blazing mushroom cloud.

Vice President Mahamudu Bawumia visited the site early on Sunday where he said that gas explosions have “become one too many.” He cited eight explosions over the past three years in the West African country.

A June 2015 explosion killed more than 150 people as many were seeking shelter from a storm at the gas station when that tragedy occurred.

The blasts happened at Atomic Junction, near the Legon suburb in north-west Accra, Ghana National Fire Service spokesman Billy Anaglatey said.

“As we speak, six people are dead due to this fire,” he said.

The cause of the explosions is being investigated, said Mr Anaglatey.

On Sunday morning, burned steel frames showed where the station was razed by the explosions.

“Some people said there were flames in the skies, l looked and saw the flames and was convinced something terrible had happened,” said James Appiah, a resident of North Legon, about half a mile from the explosion.

“There was some panic and we all just moved away from the scene,” said eyewitness George Agbey.

“It was like refugees moving away from a war-torn zone.”

A tanker explosion was followed by a secondary blast, authorities said.

The filling station is near a transport terminal and close to some hostels for the University of Ghana in Accra.

Legon is a suburb of the capital and is also home to the main campus of the University of Ghana.

In May, an explosion at a factory in the Western Regional capital of Takoradi happened as a tanker was discharging liquefied petroleum gas at the Ghana Household Utilities Manufacturing Company factory.

That explosion killed at least six fire service personnel at the scene, and injured at least another 80 people, according to Ghana’s state news agency.

Many of those evacuated were students at the University of Ghana, which is sited in the area.

Ghana is considered one of the more stable countries in West Africa since its transition to multi-party democracy in 1992.

Ghana gained independence from Britain in 1957. 0 Burned steel frames show where a petrol station in a suburb of the capital Accra was razed by the explosions yesterday morning