The
Committee tasked to investigate the cause of the June 3 fire disaster at the
Goil filling station has revealed that a lit cigarette triggered the fire.
“The
dropping of the lit cigarette stub by Seth Kwesi Ofosu onto the floating fuel
was the ultimate or immediate cause of the fire,” the report stated.
Addressing
the press, Chairman of the committee, Mr Justice Isaac Delali Douse added
that “we are not in the position to determine his [Ofosu] actual status so we
have handed him to the security agencies to investigate and arrive at a
conclusion whether or not he intentionally caused arson.
Properties
worth over GH¢1 million destroyed
The
five member committee inaugurated on June 16, 2015 to investigate the possible
causes of the June 3, 2015 disaster at the Circle Goil filling station on
Friday presented its report to the Minister of the Interior, Mark Owen Woyongo
at a ceremony in Accra.
Chaired
by Mr Justice Isaac Douse, a retired Appeal Court Judge, the Committee was to
assess the cost of damage as a result of the disaster and submit
recommendations.
According to Mr Douse, the report is
based on information provided by individuals, who appeared before the committee
to assist them in their investigations.
He
said five houses, including the Goil filling station suffered various degrees of
damages, as a result of the fire, valued at GH1,658,847.00, adding that, other
properties suffered minor damages, which have not been valued.
Seventeen
motor vehicles, including a fuel tanker were burnt beyond repair, a mini mart
located within the filling station, Bediako Pharmacy and the Honest Chef
Restaurant were completely destroyed.
The
Chairman said Seth Kwesi Ofosu, who caused the ignition has been discovered by
the security agencies and is currently helping the security agencies with
investigations to ascertain whether his action was intentional or otherwise, in
which 154 persons lost their lives, with 154 persons sustaining various degrees
of injuries.
The
committee recommended the complete dredging of the Odaw River, banning the use
of plastics as carrier bags, water dispensers and cooked food containers.
Standardized
training, certification and licensing of fuel station attendants, creation of
sanitation police, compulsory fitting of all commercial vehicles with refuse
baskets or bins should be ensured, and also, disaster managers should be
equipped with the requisite tools to effectively handle disasters.
They
also recommended the provision of air ambulances and helicopters fire fighters,
which should be managed by the Ghana Air Force and urged government to set up a
fund to cater for the injured and deceased families.
Mr
Douse said it was observed that properties affected in the disaster were not
insured with the exception of the Goil Filling station
Standardized
training, certification and licensing of fuel station attendants, creation of
sanitation police, compulsory fitting of all commercial vehicles with refuse
baskets or bins should be ensured, and also, disaster managers should be
equipped with the requisite tools to effectively handle disasters.
They
also recommended the provision of air ambulances and helicopters fire fighters,
which should be managed by the Ghana Air Force and urged government to set up a
fund to cater for the injured and deceased families.
Mr
Douse said it was observed that properties affected in the disaster were not
insured with the exception of the Goil Filling station
Source: Citifmonline (With
additional files from Hwenebobo Newsstand & GNA)
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