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 Firefighters trying to douse the embers of the fire that destroyed the van. Picture: EMMANUEL BOBBIE
Firefighters trying to douse the embers of the fire that destroyed the van. Picture: EMMANUEL BOBBIE

‘Sasso’ explodes, injuring two

Two persons escaped death when a mini Benz bus carrying an unspecified quantity of ‘Sasso’ branded cans of insecticide spray caught fire at the Dzorwulu Junction on the N1 Highway in Accra.

The two persons on the bus were the driver and a passenger.

Some onlookers and road users who were close to the scene of the incident sustained various degrees of injury as a result of explosions from the pressurised insecticide cans in the van.

Road users in the area had a tough time getting along as a result of the heavy traffic build up.

The huge traffic jam that ensued was brought about because many vehicles had to turn in order to avoid the fire that had engulfed the vehicle. 

Eyewitnesses 

 According to eyewitnesses, mainly hawkers who ply their trade in the area, the incident happened about 10 a.m. when a fuel tanker rammed into the back of the mini Benz bus loaded with cans of ‘Sasso’ insecticide.

The driver of the fuel tanker is said to have managed to drive away. 

Some of the eyewitnesses down the registration number of the tanker before it drove away but could not make it readily available to the Daily Graphic. 

People close to the scene are said to have run for their lives when the van began to burn and the cans exploded. 

Interestingly, many of the hawkers are said to have been torn between running for their lives and staying behind to protect their wares.

While some people made distress calls to the Ghana National Fire Service (GNFS) and the police, others called into radio stations and other media outlets. Some were also seen either taking pictures of the incident or videoing what was happening with their mobile phones.

The van, said to be owned by the Samara Group, producers of Sasso insecticide spray and mosquito coils, was burnt beyond recognition.

Speaking to the Daily Graphic, an eyewitnesse, Gladys Mensah said: “I was selling when I heard the sound of a car crashing into another and so I quickly jumped off the road and then saw everybody running for cover.”

“I saw balls of fire amid loud explosions,” she added.

Samuel Nimako, a trader who was at the scene, also said it took about 30 minutes for personnel of the GNFS to arrive at the accident scene.

He said when the firefighters arrived, the van had burnt down completely.

He said personnel of the GNFS, nonetheless, extinguished embers of the fire that was still burning, while the police cleared debris of the burnt out van from the road.

Hawkers 

Policemen from the Tesano Divisional Police Command had a hectic time controlling the heavy traffic, since the traffic lights at the intersection had been affected by the fire and had, therefore, ceased functioning. 

Meanwhile, some hawkers were sad and counted their losses because some of their goods were destroyed in the process. 

A newspaper vendor, Mr Philip Yasolo, grieved over the loss of newspapers worth about GH¢350, while Mr Richard Ayikpe, a windscreen wiper seller, claimed he lost GH¢150 during the melee. 

 

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