An aerial view of the explosion site
THREE PEOPLE have been confirmed dead and several others, including firefighters, have sustained severe injuries following massive explosion that hit Odumasi near Konongo in the Ashanti Region on Wednesday.
Eyewitnesses report indicated that there was a sudden explosion in a shop that deals in mining explosives in the town, which sparked an uncontrollable fire that torched about 30 nearby houses and shops in a frightening manner.
The inferno, which started around 7pm, was said to have instantly caused the death of one person and injuries to an uncountable number of people, including five firefighters, who were hurriedly rushed to the hospital for treatment.
The Public Relations Officer of the Ashanti Regional Ghana National Fire Service, Divisional Fire Officer (II) Peter Addai, has confirmed the death of three people, indicating that the five injured firefighters have since been discharged from the Asante Akim Central Government Hospital.
He added that two other people, whose injuries were life-threatening, eventually succumbed to their injuries and died in the hospital, increasing the death toll to three people, who were all civilians.
DO II Peter Addai further stated that the firefighters upon arrival at 19:13 hours encountered an explosion from a shop containing explosives, injuring five crew members and damaging their fire tender.
“The pump operator collapsed, making it impossible to initiate firefighting,” he disclosed, adding that “Hostile civilians pelted stones at responders, forcing them to withdraw. A backup crew from FK Jersey (Ejisu) was dispatched but did not proceed to the scene due to security concerns,” he said.
He also indicated that while the exact cause of the explosion is yet to be established, the service has already undertaken a vigorous investigation to establish the cause of the outbreak.
From Joe Awuah, Kumasi