Firefighters from the Northern Regional Headquarters Sub-Station of the Ghana National Fire Service (GNFS) have rescued a fuel tanker driver and his mate after their tanker overturned at Adubili Yili in Tamale.
The tanker was carrying approximately 45,000 litres of diesel when it was involved in the accident, leaving the two occupants trapped inside the vehicle.
According to the GNFS, firefighters responded promptly to the incident and successfully freed the trapped driver and his mate from the tanker.
The rescued victims were subsequently handed over to personnel from the National Ambulance Service for further medical attention.
Firefighters also took steps to prevent a secondary disaster by cooling the tanker and containing the spilled diesel. The measures were aimed at reducing the risk of the spilled fuel igniting and causing a major fire.
The operation, however, was complicated by another accident at the scene.
During the rescue exercise, two buses collided, with one of them crashing into a parked fire appliance belonging to the GNFS.
The collision caused damage to the fire appliance’s air system, potentially affecting its operational capacity.
The incident highlights the dangers emergency responders face while working at accident scenes, particularly where fuel spills and moving traffic are involved.
The GNFS continues to urge motorists to exercise caution around accident scenes and give emergency response teams sufficient space to carry out rescue and safety operations.
CREDIT: MAVIS FANTEVI