Police And TOR Investigate Explosion

Police at Tema Community One have teamed up with the Tema Oil Refinery (TOR) to investigate the cause of gas explosions that took place at the Tema Mankoadze lorry station last Friday.

At least two people were injured as a result of the explosions.

The Tema Community One district police commander, Supt. Agwubutogbe Awuni, who briefed this reporter, said that preliminary investigations revealed that a man sent seven cylinders filled with industrial gas to the Tema-Kumasi station to be sent to the Ashanti regional capital for him.

The cylinders were placed in a bus waiting its turn to load passengers when suddenly there came continuous explosions from the bus, sending people running helter-skelter for safety.

It was detected that five out of the seven five-foot high cylinders blasted, punching holes in the roofing of the bus.

Some of the pieces fell in front of the Agricultural Development Bank, Mankoadze roundabout branch, about 100 metres away.

The owner's name was not immediately available but he was said to have taken the lead to Kumasi to wait for the consignment.

Personnel from the Safety and Fire department of TOR, when reached, said it was too early to come out with any findings.

However, sources close to TOR said the cylinders filled with gas were probably rolled on the ground and also got exposed to heat for far too long.