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Ghana petrol station inferno salvage operation Ghana petrol station inferno: Witnesses questioned over cause
(about 1 hour later)
A salvage operation after a fire at a petrol station in Ghana's capital that killed 150 people will continue until Sunday, the president has said. Ghanaians are being questioned about the cause of a petrol station fire in the capital, Accra, in which some 150 people died on Wednesday night.
John Dramani Mahama said three days of national mourning would then begin for those who died in the inferno and the flooding that has also hit Accra. It is believed flood waters carried fuel from a garage storage tank towards a nearby fire, causing the explosion.
It is believed flood waters carried fuel from a garage storage tank towards a nearby fire causing the explosion. But the fire service is trying to establish where exactly it started.
People stranded by flooding and rain had sought shelter at the garage. The salvage operation is continuing as residents say they are finding more bodies of victims killed in the fire and the flooding that has hit the city.
The fire then spread to adjoining buildings on Wednesday night, but the flooding hampered rescue efforts, the BBC's Sammy Darko reports from Accra. Three days of national mourning will start for those all those who died on Monday, once the official death toll is known, the government says.
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President Mahama has described the incident as "catastrophic" and "unprecedented". President John Dramani Mahama has described the incident as "catastrophic" and "unprecedented".
He has vowed to take tough measures to stop people building illegally in areas near the city's drainage system, which appears to have been a factor in the disaster. People had sought shelter at the petrol station after being stranded by flooding and rain; buildings adjoining the garage were also burnt.
"I think that the time has come for us to remove houses out of water and the public should understand that it is necessary to save everybody else," he said. The president has vowed to take tough measures to stop people building illegally on stream beds during the dry months.
Following an emergency meeting of cabinet and security chiefs on how to tackle flooding, the government says it will release £9m ($14m) to help flood victims. They pour rocks and sand onto the beds before constructing buildings, so when the rains come the water rises and is diverted into nearby communities causing flooding.
In total an estimated 200 people have died in the petrol station fire and flooding across the country, the interior ministry has said. "I think that the time has come for us to remove houses out of water and the public should understand that it is necessary to save everybody else," President Mahama said.
Throughout Thursday night and into Friday morning the emergency services in Accra have been removing cars and other rubbish that have been washed into big gutters, our correspondent says. 'Cigarette testimony'
All over the city people are trying to salvage their belongings from homes and businesses affected by the flooding, our reporter says. The BBC's Sammy Darko in Accra says tensions have been running high as fire investigators question witnesses.
Some young men became angry, denying they caused the fire.
One of the investigators told our reporter that it had been established that fuel had spilled from the petrol station and mixed with flood waters sweeping into nearby homes, where it had come into contact with naked fire.
One witness suggested that the fire started when a cigarette was dropped, our reporter says.
Following an emergency meeting of cabinet and security chiefs on how to tackle flooding, the government said it would release £9m ($14m) to help flood victims.
In total, an estimated 200 people have died in the petrol station fire and flooding across the country, the interior ministry has said.
Throughout Thursday night and into Friday morning the emergency services in Accra have been removing cars and other rubbish that have been washed into storm drains, our correspondent says.
All over the city, people are trying to salvage their belongings from homes and businesses affected by the flooding, he says.
Electricity has been restored to some areas after electricity sub-stations were damaged in the flooding but some internet services are still down, he says.Electricity has been restored to some areas after electricity sub-stations were damaged in the flooding but some internet services are still down, he says.
A survivor of the petrol station inferno, bus conductor Yaw Aforve, said he was sleeping in his vehicle which was parked at the petrol station when the fire started. It has begun to rain again and more downpours are expected over the weekend, bringing fears of further flooding, our correspondent says.
He said he jumped into the floodwaters and when he came up for air, the fire burnt his face.
"I was swept away by the water to the other side [of the road]," he added. "I saw so many people screaming and shouting."
More rain is expected over the weekend, and there are fears of further flooding, our correspondent says.