Explosion at a Sunyani gas station destroys storey building and two cars

A devastating fire explosion occurred at the AGL Gas Filling Station in Asufufu, located within the Sunyani East Municipality of the Bono Region, on Wednesday night.

The event resulted in the destruction of a storey building, a salon car, and a tanker that was in the process of discharging liquefied petroleum gas (LPG).

The Sunyani Municipal Fire Command faced significant challenges in containing the blaze. It took them several hours of arduous effort to bring the fire under control.

The intensity and scale of the fire made the operation particularly difficult, and the firefighting team had to work tirelessly to prevent the flames from spreading further and causing even more extensive damage.

In a nearby house, nine individuals were impacted by the incident. Fortunately, all nine residents managed to escape without physical injuries.

Despite the traumatic experience and the potential danger, they emerged unscathed, highlighting the miraculous nature of their survival given the severity of the explosion and subsequent fire.

One of the fire victims, who resided in the destroyed storey building, expressed frustration and disappointment regarding the response time of the Fire Service.

According to the victim, the personnel arrived later than expected, which may have contributed to the extent of the damage.

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This delay in response has raised concerns about emergency preparedness and the efficiency of local fire services in dealing with such critical situations.

The incident at the AGL Gas Filling Station has underscored the need for stringent safety measures and protocols at facilities handling hazardous materials like liquefied petroleum gas.

It also brings to light the importance of having a well-prepared and responsive fire service to mitigate the impact of such disasters.

Community members and local authorities are now likely to call for a thorough investigation into the cause of the explosion and an evaluation of current safety standards to prevent future occurrences.

This tragic event serves as a reminder of the unpredictable nature of fires and the importance of robust safety and emergency response mechanisms in protecting lives and property.

The aftermath of the explosion will likely lead to renewed discussions and actions aimed at enhancing safety regulations and improving emergency response capabilities in the region.

“It happened just like a violent wind so apparently I thought it was rainfall. So when I checked through my window, I didn’t see any sign of rainfall so I wanted to get back to the house owner to inquire about what was really happening. By the time I got there, the fire had just engulfed all the roofing so we had to just run away for our lives and we couldn’t take anything.

“We tried calling the fire service and they came around almost an hour and some minutes. But when they came, the concentration was at the filling station, so they couldn’t even come to our building. So when they had finished with the filling station, they came to us about 3 hours after the incident.”

The Bono Regional Commander of the Ghana National Fire Service, ACFO Olivia Ayem said initial assessment of the fire revealed that the truck that came to discharge the gas was also dispensing at the same time, which she said, the service is yet to ascertain if that is to blame for the fire.

“With the initial assessment, we found out that there is this truck that brings in gas and when you are discharging, you are not supposed to dispense. And so that is what we have found out.

“They were discharging and at the same time dispersing. There might be something that triggered the fire but we don’t know yet. And so that is what we are yet to unravel.”

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