... No Official Word on Casualties
... Houses, Cars burnt
... Residents Run For Their Lives
Kumasi -- Two huge explosions at a ENGAS gas station, at Asokwa, on Friday evening, resulted in widespread fires, causing mass panic in the city of Kumasi.

Residential homes, vehicles, businesses - including a hotel/resturant - cars, high tension electricity poles and property were destroyed in the inferno.

There is an unconfirmed report that there have been some fatalities. The gas station attendant, a couple of tanker drivers and some customers are missing, feared dead.

After the explosion and the resulting fire, thousands of residents fled their homes for shelter at the Kumasi sports stadium, as firefighters struggled to contain the fires.

Speaking via telephone on Friday, a resident of the garden city said:
"It started at a gas station at Asokwa not very far from the [Kumasi Sports] Stadium. There is fire all over the place and I believe many people have lost their lives. I am talking to you from the stadium .... the situation is chaotic ...."

Unconfirmed reports filtering through, indicates fires from the explosion torched off houses and several high tension electricity poles. An unspecified number of people had to be evacuated.

Witnesses report flames shooting 100m into the air. No fatalities have been officially reported, so far. The injured have been sent to nearby hospitals

The Fire service were able to bring the fire under control after a couple of hours.