A Shell fuel station close to the fire ravaged Goil filling station at Circle in Accra has been evacuated as fire service officials fear the safety of workers and property could be compromised.
A tanker is on site to siphon fuel from the reservoir. Firemen are also there to supervise the activity.
The decision to evacuate the Shell station follows the disasterous blast at the Goil filling station, amidst heavy downpour which claimed over 70 lives.
The drivers, passengers had parked or were standing close to the fuel station to avoid the danger of driving or walking through the floods which had taken over the Circle roads but that appeared to be the last decision they would make in life.
They were burnt beyond recognition in the blast, the cause of which is yet to be ascertained. Bodies were charred in buses and cars parked at the station.
The spokesperson for the fire officers who came to the scene of the blast suspects that there was a fuel spillage at the station which mixed up with the floodwaters and worsened impact of the explosion.
The disaster has left the nation mourning as families look to identify missing loved ones.
The fire service is therefore taking precautionary measures to ensure the disaster does not recur at the station 20 meters from where the disaster occurred.
Forensic experts are expected to start investigations into the cause of last Wednesday’s inferno.
Some believe a lightening during the floods, struck the fuel station. Others say despite the advertised caution not to use cell phones at fuel stations, the passengers were on the phone reporting their whereabouts during the floods.
Another theory is that a man left a lit cigarette at the site of the fuel station. Officials are yet to ascertain the true cause of the blast.
The entire premises of the fuel station including the headquarters of a commercial bank, GCB Tower, have been cordoned off, reports Joy News’ Fred Smith. No one is being allowed entry into the area, not even for property owners there.
The siting of fuel stations close to residences has come under scrutiny following the disaster. On the Circle-Achimota road alone, three LPG stations are located within communities and near fitting shops, houses and chop bars.
Regulatory agencies have been accused of failing to ensure proper oversight and inspection of the stations.
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