Residents Risk Their Lives to Siphon Fuel From Tanker Involved in Accident Near Nsawam
- , whichResidents rush to siphon fuel from the overturned tanker on Nsawam Road during a serious fire and explosion hazard
- Personnel from the Ghana National Fire Service and the Ghana Police Service eventually made their way to the scene of the crash
- Alex King Nartey, a Ghana National Fire Service officer, explained some key safety best practices to YEN.com.gh
A fuel tanker overturned on the Nsawam Road near Panpaso, drawing a crowd of residents to the scene.
Some onlookers then started to siphon the fuel from the crashed tanker, despite the immense risk to their lives.
Source: Getty Images
The accident on the morning of January 27 led to part of the road leading to Nsawam being blocked.
The eventual presence of officers from the Ghana National Fire Service did not deter some of the people rushing for the fuel, said to be diesel.
Beach FM shared a video of the crashed tanker on Facebook.
Why siphoning fuel from crashed tankers is dangerous
Alex King Nartey, a Ghana National Fire Service officer and fire safety expert, stressed the flammable nature of the fumes from fuel, which are highly flammable and a major danger.
He explained that the least combustion, like excessive heat or sparks from a transformer or power line in the vicinity of such a crash, could prove deadly.
"These fuel vapours can travel very far and might end up causing an explosion or firequite far away from the tanker because people are siphoning them, and as they carry the fuel, there may be traces, and all these will contribute to a buildup of the vapour.”
Beyond the combustion concerns, Nartey also reminded that these fumes can be toxic to people who get too close.
"These fuels are toxic. It may end up making people nauseous, dizzy, rendering them unconscious or even lead to death because they end up inhaling this vapour instead of oxygen.”
Nartey noted that the recommended buffer for people at fuel tanker crash sites is 100 to 300 metres.
"During an explosion, the impact can travel so keeping a distance of 100 to 300 metrs from the tanker is a safety mechanism that can protect people from the consequences of these explosions or fires.”
Other similar situations involving fuel
Similar situations have occurred in the past, mostly involving fuel tankers. For example, in Bimbila in the northern region, residents rushed to a tanker transporting fuel following a 2022 crash.
Residents from the area came to the scene carrying containers to collect some petrol gushing from the tanker.
Although the police attempted to evict the citizens, it proved impossible until the fire department showed up and began saturating the area with water.
Also, in 2022, a fuel tanker accident in Kaase in the Ashanti Region offered locals a difficult but risk-free option to make quick money.
The locals flocked to the tanker to siphon the spilt fuel into buckets and jugs for sale, disregarding the possibility of an explosion.
According to reports, when it overturned, the long fuel tanker was carrying at least 54,000 litres of diesel to a nearby Bulk Oil Storage Company depot.
Truck crashes into Suame Police Headquarters
Earlier, YEN.com.gh reported that a woman was killed and a baby was critically injured after a truck crashed into the Suame Divisional Police Headquarters building in the Ashanti Region on Thursday, November 16, 2023.
Witness reports indicated that the truck had a brake pad malfunction, leading to the incident.
Source: YEN.com.gh
