Gas explosion kills 6 at Tinga
Residents of Tinga in the Bole District in the Northern Region have been thrown into a state of fear and mourning following a gas explosion that killed six persons, including two females.
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The explosion, which also injured five others, occurred in the morning of yesterday, August 28, 2016.
The horrific scenes created by the explosion sent many of the residents wailing, while others stood in groups to discuss the terrifying accident.
Scenes
The sound of the explosion drew many people, including children, to the accident scene.
Pieces of the container in which the pipes and the gas cylinders were kept could be seen on the road and in nearby houses, with some of the pipes spread on the road.
Buildings around the scene of the explosion were badly damaged, with some having their roofs ripped off.
The cylinders, believed to have contained oxygen and belonging to Nasara Logistics, were being transported from Kpone, near Tema in the Greater Accra Region, to the Wa Government Hospital in the Upper West Region.
A joint rescue team that comprised the police and the Ghana National Fire Service went to the scene to help restore calm.
The Bole District Police Commander, Assistant Superintendent of Police (ASP) Mr David Dogbatse, who described the scene in an interview with the Daily Graphic, said the accident occurred about 8:30 a.m. on Sunday.
Explosion
He said the vehicle carrying the cylinders, with registration number GT 9423-10, was from Kpone to the Wa Government Hospital.
He explained that when the vehicle got to Tinga, the cylinders exploded, killing the driver and his mate instantly, adding that four others, including two females who were residents of the area, were killed at separate locations near the accident scene.
Mr Dogbatse said two of the deceased were killed in their shops, while two others were killed on the street.
Some of the gas cylinders
“The container was torn into pieces, with some travelling as far as 500 metres,” he stated.
According to him, the accident scene was close to the Tinga Market, a situation that contributed to the death of the four persons.
He said the bodies of the deceased had been deposited at the Bole Government Hospital for autopsy, while the injured were receiving medical attention at the same health facility.
Mr Dogbatse indicated that both the police and the GNFS were investigating the cause of the accident.
The Bole Divisional Fire Officer, Mr George Asante Wiafe, said personnel from his unit were still on the ground gathering information to establish the cause of the explosion.
DCE
When the Daily Graphic contacted the District Chief Executive (DCE) for Bole, Mr James Jagar, he said members of the District Security Committee (DISEC) had visited the accident scene to see things for themselves.
