Ghana gas station explosion toll rises to 200

The toll from an explosion at a gas station in Ghana's capital Accra has risen to over 200, the interior ministry said on Friday.

Most of the bodies have been deposited at 37 military hospitals where survivors are undergoing treatment, Xinhua news agency reported on Friday.

The Goil Filling Station at Nkrumah Circle in Accra caught fire after explosion on Wednesday (June 3) night during torrential rains.

The Ghana Fire Service (GFS) said the fuel kept in underground tanks at the gas station flowed out of the station during the flooding, and a fire from a nearby house led to the explosion at the station.

Many victims were taking shelter at the station from days of heavy downpours that have triggered widespread flooding and paralysed public transport in the city, said the witnesses.

Emergency response personnel are still working at the scene of explosion to look out and retrieve bodies buried under the debris.

Interior Minister Mark Woyongo has called the incident a national disaster.

President John Dramani Mahama has announced a three-day national mourning. Flags will fly at half-mast all over the country during the three-day mourning expected to start on Monday (June 8).

The announcement came after a national emergency security council meeting held at the Flagstaff House on Thursday, chaired by Mahama.

The government has also released an amount of 60 million cedis ($15 million) to support the victims affected by the explosion.