A 39 feet long, 11 feet wide fuel tanker carrying over 40,000litres of Petrol has exploded at Kaase, a suburb of Kumasi Metro. The tanker which was heading out of Kaase, was on its way to make a delivery when it started moving in a zigzag motion, an eyewitness said. 

Speaking on Nhyira Day break news, Akwasi Gyima, 37, was driving his motorcycle to the Kaase Community park when he saw the petrol tanker parked at a vulcanizer joint. Akwasi using the pedestal road, had to get back onto the road because of the truck which was blocking the way. 

The tanker had blocked my way on the road. It was parked at the Jam Vulcanizer joint so I even shouted at them on why they had parked on the pedestal pavement. Just five minutes after passing the tanker, I heard loud shouts. 

It had lost its brakes, moving in zigzag motion, and that caused the accident, Akwesi stated on Nhyira 104.5 FM this afternoon. The tanker according to Akwasi Gyima, suffered a brake failure when it was getting onto the Kaase main road after an alleged repair at the Jam Vulcanizing Auto Shop.

All the over 40,000 litres of fuel were destroyed. We had to use blocks and sand to block the fuel from crawling onto homes over fear of another fire, Akwasi added. 

Antonsu and Ahodwo Fire Department have been able to control the fire as investigations are still ongoing. Fire Officer Daniel Boakye, who was joined by the residents of Kaase to block the crawling petrol, narrated that, they can’t rely only on the brake failure to conclude their investigations.

Accidents do happen and relying on brake failure alone would make it incomplete. We need to confirm the cause of the accident and we will work to unveil that, Officer Daniel Boakye of the Atonsu Fire Department stated.

The driver of the tanker as well as the tanker attendants are all missing and it is unclear whether they survived the explosion or not.