Some victims of Kaase tanker explosion were 'siphoning' fuel

Fire crew on Friday, battled a blaze that swept through wooden structures at Kaase Industrial Area in the Asokwa Municipality of the Ashanti Region.

A large plume of smoke rising above a damaged fuel tanker was spotted when dailymailgh.com visited the scene, Friday afternoon.

Preliminary investigation

Firefighters at the scene declared that the situation was “under control”.

A Deputy Ashanti Regional Fire Commander who led the team to the scene, Rasheed Nisawu, said preliminary investigations suggest that some people who engaged in the siphoning of fuel failed in their attempt to douse the flame, which later spread to other areas.

“They brought a tricycle and some gallons to siphon fuel from the truck and in the process it caught fire and they were concentrating on dousing the fire on the tricycle which they failed and so the fire spread to the main tank and it started burning”, said the Deputy Ashanti Regional Fire Commander Rasheed Nisawu.

He added: “We will come back to continue investigations…We are aware illegal siphoning of fuel is a rampant here and so we will collaborate with the police to check such activities”.

Squatters appeal for support

More than 50 wooden structures which serve as home for squatters were destroyed. Victims who salvaged their personal belongings want help from philanthropists.

“I picked nothing”, said 45-year-old Gladys Duut. “I only pray for an intervention from the government and other philanthropists. I don’t know where to sleep now”.

The latest development comes just hours after a massive explosion at Bogoso, a mining community in the Western Region left at least 13 killed. Over 50 others were left injured.