Members of the association in a group photograph with the Dr Kwaku Afriyie and Gifty Eugenia Kusi
The Association of Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG) Marketing Companies has made cash donation of GH¢40,000 to four hospitals treating the gas explosion victims of the accident that occurred along the Takoradi-Sekondi road.
The hospitals include the Korle-Bu Teaching Hospital, 37 Military Hospital, Cape Coast and Effia-Nkwanta Regional Hospitals.
A stationary gas tank at Ghana Utilities Manufacturing Company (GHUMCO) and a loaded gas truck both exploded in the early hours of Tuesday, May 9, leaving over 120 persons sustaining various degrees of injuries.
The injured include six fire fighters from the Ghana National Fire Service who had gone there to quench the inferno.
Others were students of the Opportunities Industrialisation Centre (IOC) and workers of Metro Mass Transit along the road, as well as passers-by.
Making the presentation at the Western Regional Coordinating Council, Gabriel Kumi, vice president of the association, described what happened as a very sad incident.
“It was very sad particularly where firefighters in their line of duty, ordinary citizens going about their work, were all caught up in this tragic accident,” he stated.
Mr Kumi pointed out that members of the association were aware that some hospital bills would be paid and so the members deemed it fit to support the health facilities taking care of those who were caught up in the inferno.
“Members of the association who are into the distribution of LPG were so touched by the victims’ plight and we decided to help with GH¢40,000 to help defray some of the medical bills,” he added.
Mr Kumi wished all the victims a speedy recovery and commended the doctors and nurses in the various hospitals for their effort at saving the lives of the victims.
He declined to comment on what might have caused the accident, explaining that a committee had been set up to investigate the case.
Mr Kumi also suggested that instead of withdrawing the license of the oil marketing company that supplied gas to GHUMCO because of the incident as had been ordered by a deputy Energy Minister, investigations should rather be conducted before such decisions could be taken.
The Western Regional Minister, Dr Kwaku Afriyie, appealed to the association to continue to sensitise their members on the need to adhere to all the safety measures needs to be taken to help minimise fuel-related incidents.
He stressed that the aluminum manufacturing company along the Sekondi-Takoradi road would be made to foot some of the medical bills even though the state would also assist.
Receiving the cash, the Deputy Western Regional Minister, Gifty Eugenia Kusi, thanked members of the association for the gesture and promised that the cash would be used for the purpose for which it was donated.
From Emmanuel Opoku, Sekondi