Ghana's energy sector's safety record in the spotlight again after a huge explosion in the capital, Accra.
ADVERTISEMENTA giant fireball hurtling into the sky alerted residents of the capital of Ghana, Accra, of an accident at a natural gas depot on Saturday evening.
At least six people were killed and 35 injured, mostly suffering burns, and many people fled their homes in the eastern part of the city after the explosion. Others were forcibly evacuated.
“We all ran. I’m injured. Look at my feet….. Look at my hands…. Look at all this,” said one survivor.
Ghana is a relatively new oil and gas producer, and has suffered several recent accidents, including an explosion in 2015 that killed around 100 people. According to Ghana’s deputy information minister, a fuel tanker exploded near the depot, then spread to a nearby petrol station, triggering a secondary blast that fire services struggled to contain.
Several witnesses expressed anger on Sunday that the government had not done more to prevent another fatal accident.