A tragedy has befallen the community of Egyiresia near Sekondi, where two out of the 16 individuals injured in an explosion have passed away due to their injuries.
The explosion, which happened on Saturday, May 18, around 4 pm, was triggered by leaking premix fuel coming into contact with fire from a nearby fish smoking facility.
The two deceased were among thirteen other victims sent to the EFfia -Nkwanta Regional Hospital due to the severity of their condition. The remaining three were sent to the Benedict Hospital.
READ ALSO: Pirates of the Caribbean Everything To Know
The Assembly Member for Ngyiresia-Mpasem Gabriel Ato Mensah disclosed to Citi News that the two deceased victims, Joseph Adom, aged 15, and Justice Dadzie, aged 7, were receiving medical care at Effia-Nkwanta Hospital in Sekondi.
He further stated that two more injured individuals are being transferred to Korle-Bu Teaching Hospital for advanced treatment.
“We recorded 16 victims with 11 being males and five females. We brought 13 of them to Effia-Nkwanta where treatment started, and we took the three to Saint Benedict Hospital at Inchaban. I personally took them to the hospital and later had to join the chief. When I came, two of the victims had been taken to the theatre, thus Joseph Adom, 15 years and Isaac Blankson, 55 years. The other 11 were also receiving treatment at the emergency ward.”
“This morning when we came, we realized that Joseph Adom had passed on. So we went to the morgue to see the lifeless body. Since morning, I’ve been here with the chief and around 3 pm, we lost another one by the name Justice Dadzie, a seven-year-old.
“Currently the ambulance has taken one patient, Isaac Blankson who was at the theatre [on Saturday] to Korle Bu and we are preparing another ambulance for one patient to Korle Bu for further treatment.”
Joseph Adom was resting in a wooden structure meters away when he was caught by the raging flames. The seven-year-old was also reportedly playing in the vicinity.
Dr. Grace Ayensu Danquah, the National Democratic Congress Parliamentary Candidate for Essikado-Ketan, has joined fellow surgeons at the hospital in a race against time to save the remaining victims of the explosion.
“We are doing everything medically possible to ensure that we can save the lives of the remaining victims,” she stated
In addition to her medical assistance, she has also donated surgical supplies to aid the victims.