2 Injured As Gas Tanker Tumbles

Two persons were severely injured when Trinity Oil gas tanker skidded off and landed on its side at Tetegu near Weija junction, Accra.

The injured were said to be the driver of the tanker and another worker of the company who were on their way from Kasoa in the Central Region to discharge gas to one of the stations at Alajo, a suburb of Accra.

Eyewitness account indicated that a taxi driver, with the help of other drivers and residents who were at the scene, rescued the victims who were then trapped in the vehicle.

The victims were later sent to the Korle-Bu Teaching Hospital for treatment.

The witness said there was total chaos at the time of the accident as both roads were blocked to traffic.

“For fear of an explosion, commuters, residents and hawkers plying that route had to run for their lives as others had to walk long distances to join other buses to Kasoa and Central Accra.

“The timely intervention of personnel from the Ghana National Fire Service prevented a tragedy as the gas began to leak,” according to the eyewitness.

Another witness, a hawker by name Eric Ampong, told DAILY GUIDE at the scene that the incident occurred around 5am yesterday.

The gas tanker from Kasoa, upon reaching Choice, near Tetegu, veered off the road, hit some electricity poles and landed on the opposite side of the road.

Soon after, the gas began to leak and so two persons on board, including the driver, were immediately taken out of the vehicle by some drivers and commuters who were stuck in traffic.

The fire personnel managed to block what they believed were tiny holes on the tanker to prevent any possible explosion before personnel of the Motor Traffic and Transport Department (MTTD) of the Ghana Police Service came to remove the tanker from the middle of the road.

The Accra Regional Police Commander, COP Dr George Akuffu Dampare, visited the scene to access the situation.

In a statement, Dr Dampare said the police received the information some minutes after 5am yesterday and when the patrol team visited the scene together with MTTD personnel, they found the need for them to call for re-enforcement to prevent any explosion.

He said the place was immediately cordoned off to prevent vehicular movement while the fire fighters took precautionary measures to manage the situation before the vehicle was removed from the middle of the road and towed away.