GAS FILLING STATION EXPLODES IN SUNYANI

A gas filling station in Sunyani known as Agyenim Boateng filling station exploded on Tuesday 25^th May, 2010 around 6.30 p.m causing extensive damage life and property. In the event the station attendant Baba Abdul who sustained serious burns all over his body and was referred from the Sunyani Hospital to Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital died. The Inferno gutted all properties including houses, cars, hair dressing saloon, car tyres of a vulganizer a restaurant. The louvre blades of the electoral commission office which is about 200 metres away were all destroyed.

According to the regional fire officer Mr. Paul Opoku the actual cause of the fire is not yet know. He said they had a distress call from Emmanuel Agbodza tenant in the area that the gas filling station is in flames. When we contacted Emmanuel Agbodza he narrated how the incident occurred to us. He said he was in his room when he heard a gas tanker offloading at the station. He continued that in course of the offloading he sense gas all over the place so he alerted the attendant of the station Baba Abdul who in turn drew the attention of the tanker driver. He said just after the offloading he heard a loud noise outside so he quickly rushed out only to find the station in flames.

According to the Regional Fire Officer the inferno was great and the fire engine in Sunyani alone could not quench the fire so they called for reinforcement from Berekum. He added that they had a hectic time controlling the fire because of the rage at which it was spreading. He continued that a large crowd gathered at the place and controlling them was also a difficult task for them but with the help of the police and the military the situation was controlled. When we went there this morning the fire had been quenched. We found to our dismay debris of properties of all kinds

which has been burnt. People who have lost their valuable properties were sitting there in a pensive mood.

People we spoke to expressed serious concern about the way fire is destroying things in the country. Some expressed serious reservations about the locations of these gas filling stations in the Sunyani Township most of which are in the middle of the town a situation they described as

very dangerous. They therefore called for the relocation of those in the middle of town to the outskirts. A white women at the scene who gave her name as Liza said “I can not imagine how you can allow gas filling stations in the middle of town like this, in my country they are far outskirt of town”. This assertion was collaborated by regional fire officer who said “Their locations are a problem so since I came I have asked the managers of those stations to build fence walls around them and also any time they have a load they should inform me to send a

safety officer to do the necessary checks before they off load”. “Some of them thought I was being too harsh but look at what happened yesterday, if the wind had blown to the Sunyani Polytechnic side what story do you think we would have been telling today he queried. Our checks also revealed that most of the gas filling stations are in places where there are many people and if they are not relocated could cause some major disaster one day. The situation is now under control and the city is calm.

(PAUL DESMOND TUTU)

MUNICIPAL INFORMATION OFFICER

SUNYANI