A double gas explosion at Atomic Junction Total filling station has thrown many into a state of fear and panic as lives and properties were lost and several people injured.
The incident left at least two persons dead and the injured receiving treatment in hospitals in Accra.
A man who was nearly killed in the inferno gives an emotional account of his escape.
According to him, he had just closed from work and decided to send some money to a family member.
After failed attempts, he decided to wait a while and later retry sending the cash. However, a few moments later, he heard an explosion near the Atomic Junction first bus stop.
Shortly after that, he witnessed the second explosion, this time more intense, blow him from his location, sliding him about 15 meters away from his original bearing.
Overwhelmed by his narrow escape and in tears, he expressed gratitude to God for saving his life. Others also shared their thoughts about what they thought should be done to ensure such disasters do not become rampant, particularly at filling stations.
“I thank God for my life. If it was not for God, I would not know where I would have been,” he said.
Eyewitnesses also gave account of their experience as well as reactions following the incident.
So far, two persons are feared dead and scores injured. The injured have been sent to the 37 Military Hospital, Pentecost Hospital and Legon Hospital, according to reports by the deputy Director of the National Disaster Management Organization (NADMO), Abu Ramadan.
The cause of the explosion which occurred at the Total Filling station is still not clear. The incident is being investigated by the police and respective bodies.
The explosion occurred around 6:30pm on Saturday, October, 7, 2017 and caused heavy vehicular traffic.
Fire fighters arrived in time to prevent more casualties from happening. The fire took hours of fierce fighting before it was calmed. While the team was leaving the area, the brave fighters were still battling with the fire in order to ensure it died out completely.
