2 die in fire explosion at PFC

Two people lost their lives while four others sustained serious burns on Sunday when fire gutted the premises of Pioneer Food Cannery Limited (PFC),

Mr Timothy Affum, Deputy Tema Regional Fire Officer, told the Ghana News Agency in an interview in Tema on Monday that Kelvin Kwaku and Isaac Quaye, the two who lost their lives, were working for Maceco Engineering Company, a company contracted to do maintenance works on the Boiler House at PFC, Tema.

He said the contractors were welding parts of the Boiler when one of the tanks containing oil for powering the Boiler exploded and caused the fire.
He, however, said the cause of the explosion was unknown and was under investigations.

In response to whether the Boiler House, which was sited in the midst of the plant was proper, Affum said the position was not the issue but “the real issue is whether they had made provision for a safety facility to prevent accident”.

Mr Affum wondered whether the PFC passed through safety standards permitted in performing such maintenance works.

He noted that the Tema Regional Fire Service was notified of the fire at 17 14 GMT and they mobilised three fire tenders and one tanker.

According to him, Fire Officers also came from Ghana Port and Harbours Authority (GHAPOHA) with two fire tenders and one tanker.

He said they were able to put the fire under control at about 18 00 GMT and extinguished it at about 18 49 GMT.