June 3 Disaster Remembered

They may have suffered three years of gut-wrenching pain, scarred face and neglect but notwithstanding, survivors of the June 3 fire and flood disaster have found reasons to be grateful.

Together with their relatives and well-wishers, the twin disaster victims yesterday, congregated at the Word Power Pentecostal Ministries at Alajo, in Accra, for a thanksgiving service.

Amid singing and dancing, the survivors gave thanks to God for sparing their lives in the gory disaster which claimed the lives of hundreds and left many with varying degrees of injury.

On 3 June 2015, over 150 persons who had sought shelter at a GOIL Filling Station at the Kwame Nkrumah Interchange after continuous and heavy rains were charred to death in an explosion when water seeped into the underground tanks of the fuel station and displaced the fuel which later exploded.

It would forever remain in the mind of Ghanaians how for the first time, the streets close the disaster site the, were littered with bodies―the streets stunk of death.

Though the media was present at the thanksgiving ceremony, survivors refused to speak.

It is purported that their repeated calls for support for three years had been ignored and thus no need for a constant reminder.

NADMO Remembers Victims

Meanwhile, the National Disaster Management Organisation (NADMO) had on Friday, released a statement in remembrance of the lost souls as well as the surviving few.

In the statement signed by the Director of Communications, Mr George Kwadwo Ayisi, it is the hope of NADMO that the public desists from practices that have the potential to cause disasters.

“we wish to soberly commemorate this day in the disaster history of Ghana, not as a reminder of the pain caused the nation by this complex disaster of flood and fire combined, but to charge us as citizens to be wary of our surroundings and happenings around us and act swiftly to avoid preventable disasters, by making sure our drains are free of debris, fuel stations cooperate with the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), National Petroleum Authority (NPA), District Assemblies and other relevant Agencies to ensure the safety of our fuel stations to avoid the occurrence of such unfortunate and avoidable disasters in the future,” the statement read.

The release explained that NADMO will not relent in its efforts to collaborate with the EPA, NPA, Hydrological Services Department and other agencies to ensure there is a reduction in the risk of disasters in all “our endeavours for our safety”.

NADMO further appealed to the public to be cooperative during exercises to prevent disasters and also create awareness to ensure that lives and properties are always safe.

By: Grace Ablewor Sogbey/ [email protected]