[ 2017-10-08 ]

Gas explosion: ‘Solid policies’ soon to check fire disasters – Veep
Vice President Dr. Mahamadu Bawumia says the
government will soon roll out tough policies to
address the increasing spate of fire disasters in
the country.

This revelation follows a crunch meeting held last
night in the wake of the explosion at the Atomic
Junction in Accra.

Addressing the media after visiting the site of
the fire disaster Sunday morning, the Vice
President also warned against any form of
resistance to the upcoming policy by individuals
or group of persons.

“This is one too many. This is about the eighth
explosion that has happened in three years, and I
think what Ghanaians really want is solid policies
to deal with this once and for all. We are going
to move to deal with it.

“It is not about committees upon committees and
nothing gets done. I think that we owe it to the
country and the government is going to take this
very seriously,” he assured.

He said the National Petroleum Authority (NPA),
the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), the
Energy Ministry, the Fire Service will be involved
in the formulation of the new policy.

“We are going to move quite quickly to do it. It
is not going to be one that you will wait weeks
for it to happen. It is going to happen relatively
quickly,” he said.

Dr. Bawumia also commended the security services,
and other stakeholders for their efforts in
dealing with the situation.   

“I would like on behalf the President, to thank
our security services. The Fire Service responded
very quickly within one and half hours to try to
get this under control.

“The police, the military, NADMO, the Health
Services, it was a major effort and the disaster
could have been much bigger, but for their
intervention,” he said.

A huge explosion at a gas filling station at the
Atomic Junction, Mansco Gas Filling Station, close
to the sprawling Madina Zongo Junction in Accra
shook the capital on Saturday evening.

Eye-witnesses say the explosion struck when a gas
tanker was offloading its contents at the
station.

The death toll currently stands at seven with at
least132 injured. Some 64 persons have been
treated and discharged from various hospitals, an
official report said.

There has been a long-standing debate about the
citing of fuel stations close to residential
areas, however, a lack of political will has meant
that the issue comes up only when there is a
disaster.

Source - Myjoyonline.com

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