An underground investigation conducted into the recent gas explosion that took seven lives and left many injured at Atomic Junction has established that Go Gas and First Gas companies were superintending illegal off-loading of gas to Mansco filing station without following due process which led to the bursting of their hose.

Our investigation also established that the driver and his mate took to their heels after they failed to stop the gas from leaking at the gas station at Madina Atomic Junction in Accra when the hose busted during the discharge of the gas without turning the truck engine off as well as the discharge valve thereby causing the explosion.

It also came out that GO GAS and FIRST GAS were not supposed to be at Mansco filing station at Atomic but diverted the gas to the place to operate illegally at the blind side of NPA and the sponsored company.

Violation of NPA Regulations

GO GAS and FIRST GAS violated the National Petroleum Authority (NPA) rules by diverting gas consignment illegally to Mansco filing station without permission from the sponsored company.

Mansco filing station response

When the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Infinity Company who manages Mansco filing station, Mrs Ann Agyeman Duah was contacted, she said she was on admission at the hospital and thus can’t talk on the issue.

Seven people were confirmed dead in the aftermath of the gas explosion at the Atomic Junction in Accra on last Saturday.

A statement from the Information Ministry, released on Sunday, added that 132 others were injured as a result of the incident, while about half of that number have already been discharged.

“As at 11: 30 Sunday morning, at least seven persons have been confirmed dead, and 132 injured, out of which 64 have been discharged and 68 still receiving treatment,” the statement signed by Information Minister, Mustapha Hamid said.

The residents of Atomic Junction in Madina were thrown into a state of panic following the explosion at the gas station which spread to adjacent structures.

The huge fireball from the explosion could be seen with many people in the vicinity taking to their heels in a bid to escape the blaze.