Cigarette smoker arrested for causing June 3 GOIL fire

The man, who is in custody at the fortified investigative edifice of Ghana, allegedly dropped a lit “cigarette stub onto the floating fuel,” which caused the fire during the flood.

According to the chairman of the committee set up to investigate the June 3 disaster, Justice Isaac Delali Douse, “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.”

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 Interior, Mark Owen Woyongo, at a ceremony in Accra.

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 damage as a result of the fire, valued at GH?1,658,847, 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, which resulted in 154 persons losing 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.

Standardised 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 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.

The committee observed that people expose themselves to the dangers of secondary explosion when they rush to disaster scenes as spectators or sympathisers, and advised the public to be cautious.

Other members of the committee are Mr Wise Ametefe, Chairman of Hydromet Committee, NADMO; Colonel M. Mustapha, from the Ghana Armed Forces; Chief Supt. Raymond Simpi of the Ghana Police Service; and DCFO William J. Mensah of the Ghana National Fire Service.