A powerful explosion on May 25 rocked a public toilet at Pig Farm, a suburb of Accra around 5.00am.

The explosion which had the near force of a volcanic eruption was so loud that it was able to throw concrete, dust and human excrement (faeces) into the air, while residents ran for dear life from the force of the methane gas. The Pig Farm public latrine is one of a cluster of four toilets in the area. Six men were attending to nature?s call in the facility when it blasted. Eye witnesses say the blast caused the emission of strong fumes into the air.

At 6am, two of the users had escaped unhurt, but two others were rescued from under the collapsed concrete slabs, which served as a platform on which they squatted to defecate, while two others, who were trapped in the murky pits, were dragged out by sympathetic residents.

According to sources, the toilet was built in 1922 by a certain James Awuah but it looked very old and decrepit. Residents have been complaining that the toilet had showed visible cracks and had complained about the deterioration to no avail. After the massive explosion, a large crowd of people gathered to watch the spectacle with some wondering when each home in Accra would have its own toilet facility. There were pockets of others who had come from far and near discussing what had happened at Pig Farm. Armed police personnel did well to maintain order. A fire tender also took position as firefighters were busy trying to rescue those trapped inside and under the rubble.

Mr. Fred Agbenyega, one of the victims who escaped from harm said that the disaster happened between 5:00 and 5:30 in the morning. According to Frank who is also called Papa, he was squatting in one of the cubicles when he felt a rumble like an earthquake and heard a loud noise. He quickly rushed outside, semi nude when he was about 100 metres away from the toilet he head screams.

I heard some people screaming for help so I raised an alarm for others to come and help me rescue them, he narrated. At this stage, many people from the vicinity rushed from their homes to render assistance to the trapped persons. Other sympathizers called radio stations so that the police and fire service could come over to manage the situation.