All flags at half-mast as Ghana begins three days of national mourning

All flags were flown at half-mast as Ghana began a 3-day national mourning for people who lost their lives through a huge fire at a fuel filling station and in floods in Accra on Wednesday.

President John Mahama announced the 3-day national mourning in an address after a National Crisis meeting of the National Security Council, in the wake of the disasters that have killed about 160 people.

The Minister for Communications, Edward Boamah, in a statement, encouraged all Ghanaians and the general public, to wear black or red arm bands and clothing, to mourn with the families of the victims of the disaster.

The statement said the three days of national mourning would end on June 10, with a memorial service for the departed near the site of the fire disaster at the Kwame Nkrumah Circle, to be attended by the President.

“As we go about our work and other duties during the 3 days, let us remember the victims and pray for their souls and pray for strength and comfort for their families and friends,” the minister said.

Government has also taken responsibility for the hospital bills of all victims of the flood and fire, as directed by the President.

In addition, water, food and non-food items, have been distributed to affected persons and communities.

The Ghana National Fire Service (GNFS) said its preliminary investigations into the explosion at the GOIL fuel station at the Kwame Nkrumah Circle, had revealed that some valves were not properly tightened, leading to the inferno.

Officials of the GNFS were yet to reveal the exact number of people who lost their lives.
Deputy Public Relations Officer of the GNFS, Billy Anaglatey, said the failure to tighten the valves of the fuel storage bay by the fuel attendants, allowed the fuel to float on the surface of the flood water, which came into contact with fire 100 meters away from the station.

It added that the fire then moved on the fuel on the water, back to the service station, leading to the explosion.

“We realised that some of the valves were not properly closed, so the running water was entering into the underground tank and because of density factor, it went under the fuel and pushed the fuel up,” he said.

Report says the floods brought down houses, washed away roads and vehicles, and caused huge havoc, displacing thousands of people.