Tragedy struck on Monday, October 9, 2023, as a somber veil descended upon the COCOBOD office in Koforidua, the capital of Ghana’s Eastern Region. In a grim turn of events, three skilled technicians lost their lives within the confines of an underground fuel reservoir.
These ill-fated individuals were part of a team of five workers contracted for a vital maintenance assignment within the reservoir’s depths. Regrettably, it is alleged that adherence to safety protocols, which stand as a sentinel between life and peril in such hazardous environments, was not scrupulously observed. The outcome was as heartrending as it was avoidable – suffocation and untimely demise within the unforgiving confines of the fuel tank.
The report, while shedding light on this tragic incident, refrains from attributing its findings to any official source. The fallen victims are known to us only by their names – Ashie, aged 60; Octopus, in his prime at 40; and the young Jonathan, in his late twenties. It was in the valiant attempt to rescue a comrade within the underground fuel tank that Ashie found himself ensnared in the same deadly grip, ultimately claiming the lives of two others, including their supervisor.
The dire situation unfolded with a cruel swiftness that prompted two other workers at the scene to sound the alarm, rousing the collective conscience of the community. Responding to this heart-wrenching cry for help, a team of rescuers hailing from various agencies, including NADMO, the police, the ambulance service, and the fire service, swiftly converged on the scene.
In a race against time, these heroic responders successfully extricated the lifeless bodies from the unforgiving underground reservoir. With reverence and solemnity, the mortal remains were conveyed to the St Joseph’s Hospital Mortuary in Effiduase, where they now rest in peaceful repose, awaiting further proceedings.
As the nation grapples with the profound loss of these three souls, the Ghanaian police have officially initiated investigations into the incident. The news has reverberated across the digital landscape, evoking emotions of sorrow and contemplation as the nation mourns the lives tragically cut short.