Date | 3 June 2015 |
---|---|
Location | Accra, Ghana |
Coordinates | 5°34′4.8″N0°12′55.4″W / 5.568000°N 0.215389°W |
Cause | Fuel fire, explosion, flooding |
Deaths | 256 [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]
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]
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]
The Accra Sport Stadium disaster occurred at the Ohene Djan Stadium in Accra, Ghana, on 9 May 2001. It killed 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 and Kanjuruhan Stadium disasters.
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.
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.
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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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Floods in Ghana is a list of flood incidents that has destroyed properties and led to loss of lives. Floods are caused by excessive rainfall and dam spillages.