Story: News Desk 

Two out of the sixteen people injured during a premix fuel explosion at Ngyirasia, a community in the Essikadu Ketan Constituency, have died.

According to the Assembly Member for Ngyirasia-Mpasem, Gabriel Ato Mensah, the two deceased victims, Joseph Adom, 15 years, and Justice Dadzie, 7 years were receiving treatment at Effia-Nkwanta Hospital in Sekondi when they succumbed to their injuries.

“We recorded 16 victims with 11 being males and five females. We brought 13 of them to Effia-Nkwanta where treatment started, and we took the three to Saint Benedict Hospital at Inchaban. I personally took them to the hospital and later had to join the chief.

“When I came back, two of the victims had been taken to the theatre, thus Joseph Adom, 15 years and Isaac Blankson, 55 years. The other 11 were also receiving treatment at the emergency ward.”

“This morning when we came, we realized that Joseph Adom had passed on. So we went to the morgue to see the lifeless body. Since morning, I’ve been here with the chief and around 3 pm, we lost another one by the name Justice Dadzie, a seven-year-old,” he said.

The Assembly Member added that two more injured persons were  being transferred to Korle-Bu Teaching Hospital for further treatment.

“Currently the ambulance has taken one patient, Isaac Blankson who was at the theatre [on Saturday] to Korle Bu and we are preparing another ambulance for one patient to Korle Bu for further treatment.”

The explosion is said to have occurred around 4:00 pm on Saturday, May 18, 2024, when some fishermen were transporting premix fuel in gallons to their canoes along the beach.

It is suspected that the fuel may have caught fire from a nearby fish oven. The incident also affected two stationary vehicles; a Land Rover and an Opel Astra, as well as some wooden structures close by.

Meanwhile, police are currently investigating the explosion.