2015 Accra explosion

Last updated

2015 Accra explosion
Ghana adm location map.svg
Green pog.svg
Accra
Accra (Ghana)
Date3 June 2015
Location Accra, Ghana
Coordinates 5°34′4.8″N0°12′55.4″W / 5.568000°N 0.215389°W / 5.568000; -0.215389
CauseFuel fire, explosion, flooding
Deaths256 [1]

On June 3, 2015, an explosion and a fire occurred at a petrol station in Ghana's capital city Accra, killing over 250 people. [2] [3] [4] [5]

Contents

Explosion

The GOIL station, near Kwame Nkrumah Interchange [6] in the city's downtown area, was being used as a shelter from heavy rains and flooding from [7] several days of flooding in the city, and was packed with people, cars and buses, waiting to leave to their various destinations when the explosion occurred. The source of the explosion is unknown though believed to have occurred in the station's fuel tanks. One survivor stated that the power had gone out before the explosion, but after the power was restored, they heard a "pop" and then the fire erupted. [3] About 96 people were taking shelter at the station before they were killed by the fire. [3]

Due to the flooding, water had mixed in with the fuel, and when the tanks exploded, the water exacerbated the spread of the fire to nearby buildings, killing additional citizens. [3] The ongoing rainfall and flooding made rescue efforts difficult. [8] [9] So many bodies were taken to the 37 Military Hospital, the largest specialist hospital in Ghana, that the morgue was overwhelmed. [10] [11]

Reactions

Deeply saddened to learn of the tragic incident at a petrol station in Accra in which so many people died or were seriously injured, the Holy Father sends heartfelt condolences to the relatives of the deceased and injured, to the authorities and to the entire Nation. His Holiness commends the souls of the departed to Almighty God and willingly invokes the divine gifts of consolation and strength upon those who mourn and upon all who have been affected by this tragedy. [14]

See also

Related Research Articles

The Accra Sport Stadium disaster occurred at the Ohene Djan Stadium, Accra, Ghana on May 9, 2001. It took the lives of 126 people, making it the worst stadium disaster to have ever taken place in Africa. It is also the third-deadliest disaster in the history of association football behind the Estadio Nacional disaster and Kanjuruhan Stadium disaster.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Energy accidents</span>

Energy resources bring with them great social and economic promise, providing financial growth for communities and energy services for local economies. However, the infrastructure which delivers energy services can break down in an energy accident, sometimes causing considerable damage. Energy fatalities can occur, and with many systems deaths will happen often, even when the systems are working as intended.

2015 in Ghana lists events of note that happened in the Ghana in the year 2015.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ghana Oil Company</span> State-Owned Oil company based in Ghana

GOIL PLC formerly known as GOIL Company Limited (GOIL) and Ghana Oil Company and also known as GOIL, is a state-owned Ghanaian oil and gas marketing company, formed on 14 June 1960. Currently it holds the place of Ghana's top oil marketing company, and is the only indigenous owned petroleum marketing company in Ghana.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kwame Nkrumah Interchange</span> Interchange in Ghana

Kwame Nkrumah Interchange is a 3-tier interchange which was constructed to replace the Kwame Nkrumah Circle in the centre of the city of Accra, Ghana. It opened in 2016. The interchange is named in honour of Ghana's first president, Kwame Nkrumah, who was the leading figure during the country's fight for independence from Britain. Both the current and the old edifices remain iconic landmarks of Ghana's capital city, Accra.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">37 Military Hospital</span> Military Hospital in Accra, Ghana

The 37 Military Hospital is a specialist hospital located in Accra, on the main road between the Kotoka International Airport and central Accra. It is the largest military hospital in the Republic of Ghana after the Korle-Bu Teaching Hospital. The name 37 was because it was the 37th military hospital to be built in the British colony of West Africa. The hospital is also known for the story of the bats who never left their chief.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Soma mine disaster</span> 2014 mine fire in Turkey

On 13 May 2014, blasting at Eynez coal mine in Soma, Manisa, Turkey, caused an underground mine fire, which burned until 15 May. In total, 301 people were killed in what was the worst mine disaster in Turkey's history. The mine, operated by coal producer Soma Kömür İşletmeleri A.Ş., suffered a fire, the causes of which were later found to be complex. The fire occurred at the mine's shift change, and 787 workers were underground at the time. At the time the disaster was thought to be mainly an explosion rather than fire. After the final bodies were pulled from the mine on 17 May 2014, four days after the fire, the Minister of Energy and Natural Resources Taner Yıldız confirmed the number of dead was 301. Disaster and Emergency Management Presidency (AFAD) announced the names of 301 workers who died in the mine disaster and 486 people who survived.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2014 Kaohsiung gas explosions</span> Industrial disaster in Taiwan

On 31 July 2014, a series of gas explosions occurred in the Cianjhen and Lingya districts of Kaohsiung, Taiwan, following reports of gas leaks earlier that night. Thirty-two people were killed and 321 people were injured.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2015 Accra floods</span> Disaster in Ghana

The 2015 Accra floods resulted from heavy continuous rainfall in Accra, the largest city in Ghana. The rain started on 1 June 2015. Other causes of this flood is as a result of the improper planning of settlement in Accra, choked gutters which block the drainage system and a few other human factors. The floods have resulted in heavy traffic on the roads in the city and also a halt in commercial activities as markets were flooded and workers trapped. Mayor of Accra Metropolitan Assembly, Alfred Oko Vanderpuije described the flooding as critical. At least 25 people have died from the flooding directly, while a petrol station explosion caused by the flooding killed at least 200 more people.

Fodoa or Fodowa is a town in the Kwahu West Municipal District of the Eastern Region of Ghana.

On 7 October 2017, an offloading petrol tanker located at the state-owned Ghana Oil Company (GOIL) caught fire resulting in a large-scale explosion at the site of a liquefied natural gas station located at Atomic Junction in Madina, Accra, Ghana. The explosion was not isolated to the tanker at the station, with the fire promptly radiating towards a cooking gas depot situated next door. The Ministry of Information released a formal statement that confirmed 7 people had been killed and 132 people were injured during the blast.. Residents of the busy intersection in northeast Accra were forced to flee as the blasts were followed by a giant fireball erupting into the sky over eastern Accra. The Interior Minister, Hon. Ambrose Dery MP, attended the scene alongside other government officials and emergency service personnel from the Atomic Fire Brigade, Ghana National Fire Service, Ghana Police Service, and the National Disaster Management Organisation to monitor the situation. In the aftermath of the explosion, a constituency official delivered a statement to the Parliament of Ghana in which they addressed the threats posed to the public because of recurrent gas explosions in the region, including the threat to human lives, subsequent damage to properties and businesses, declines in available resources and nationwide job shortages. As a result of the quantity of both lives and properties lost, a statement was read in parliament encouraging the consideration of the relocation of such liquefied natural gas stations to the outside of residential regions and spaces accessible by the public. On 8 October 2017, Mahamudu Bawumia, the Vice President of Ghana, addressed the public during a press conference vowing a national response in the aftermath of the explosion to put new policies and procedures into action to minimise the risk of similar incidents occurring in the future.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2022 Bogoso explosion</span> Explosion along Tarkwa-Bogoso road, Ghana

On 20 January 2022, a large explosion occurred along the Tarkwa-Bogoso-Ayamfuri road in Western Region, Ghana, after a truck transporting mining explosives collided with a motorcycle. The explosion levelled the nearby Apiate village, killing 13 people and injuring 200.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Weather of 2015</span>

The following is a list of weather events that occurred on Earth in the year 2015. There were several natural disasters around the world from various types of weather, including blizzards, cold waves, droughts, heat waves, tornadoes, and tropical cyclones.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Creeslough explosion</span> 2022 explosion in Donegal, Ireland

The Creeslough explosion occurred on 7 October 2022 at an Applegreen petrol station in Creeslough, a village in north County Donegal, Ireland. It killed ten people and left eight hospitalised; the highest number of civilian casualties in the county in decades. The cause is uncertain, but investigators suspect an accidental gas leak.

The Boksburg explosion took place on 24 December 2022, when a fuel tanker carrying liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) exploded underneath a railway bridge in Boksburg, in the Ekurhuleni Metropolitan Municipality in Gauteng, South Africa, with a death toll of 41 people as of 18 January 2023. Nearby infrastructure was damaged by the explosion.

On 14 August 2023, a gas station exploded in the city of Makhachkala, Dagestan, Russia, killing 35 people and injuring at least 80 others.

On 9 September 2023 a quarry site located in Anto Aboso in the Shama District in the Western Region of Ghana exploded. The site was operated by STA Addsams Enterprise and the Minerals Commission of Ghana found them to be operating illegally and without permit.

References

  1. "Update: over 250 dead in Accra filling station explosion". VibeGhana.com. 4 June 2015.
  2. "Over 200 killed in Ghana gas station explosion". Zee News. Retrieved 8 June 2015.
  3. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 "Ghana petrol station inferno kills at least 150 in Accra". BBC . 4 June 2015. Retrieved 4 June 2015.
  4. "78 killed in blast at petrol station in Ghana's Accra". Al Jazeera . 4 June 2015. Retrieved 4 June 2015.
  5. "Blast at Ghana petrol station kills about 90 people". Reuters. Retrieved 4 June 2015.
  6. Baiocchi, Francisco (4 June 2015). "UPDATE: Disaster! Many dead in fuel station fire". www.graphic.com.gh. Retrieved 4 June 2015.
  7. Faith Karimi and Chris Lett (5 June 2015). "Ghana gas station blast kills those fleeing flooding - CNN.com". CNN.
  8. Nossiter, Adam (5 June 2015). "Gas Station Explosion in Ghana's Capital Kills Around 100". The New York Times . Retrieved 4 June 2015.
  9. "Ghana petrol station inferno kills scores in Accra". BBC . 4 June 2015. Retrieved 4 June 2015.
  10. "Accra floods: More than 100 feared dead after explosion". Daily Guide. 4 June 2015. Archived from the original on 7 July 2015. Retrieved 4 June 2015.
  11. O'Connor, Roisin (4 June 2015). "Accra floods: More than 70 people reported dead after petrol station fire in Ghana's capital city". The Independent. Archived from the original on 4 June 2015. Retrieved 4 June 2015.
  12. Gadugah, Nathan (4 June 2015). "Floods: Mahama declares 3 days of mourning". Myjoyonline.com. Archived from the original on 3 March 2016. Retrieved 6 June 2015.
  13. "President Mahama Announces 3-days of National Mourning & 60 Million GH. Cedis to Support Flood Victims". gbcghana.com. 4 June 2015. Archived from the original on 2015-06-06. Retrieved 6 June 2015.
  14. "Il cordoglio del Santo Padre per il devastante incidente in una stazione di servizio ad Accra (Ghana)". vatican.va.