Ghana’s petroleum downstream regulator, the National Petroleum Authority (NPA), has cautioned the public against rushing to siphon fuel from Bulk Road Vehicles (BRVs), popularly known as fuel tankers, involved in road accidents.
It has become a worrying trend in the West African nation that whenever a fuel tanker is involved in an accident, some residents rush to the scene to collect fuel leaking from overturned or damaged vehicles.
Speaking at the National LPG Forum in Accra on Thursday, November 27, the Chief Executive Officer of the NPA, Godwin Edudzi Tameklo, described the practice as extremely dangerous and a major threat to public safety. He noted that incidents involving fuel and LPG tankers are highly volatile and expose people to severe risks.
“The major accidents that have occurred within the downstream often tend to be associated with LPG. I want to use this platform to encourage as many of our countrymen and women that when an LPG or fuel tanker is down, please don’t go with your gallon or cylinder,” he said.
“Your life is more important than GHȼ200 or GHȼ250. If you have life, you can always get the GHȼ250. But you go and fetch petroleum products simply because there is an accident. Beyond it being a question of theft, why do you want to risk your life? At that point, anything can happen,” Mr Tameklo cautioned.
According to him, when a tanker carrying thousands of litres of highly combustible product is compromised, any spark—from a dropped metal canister, a running engine, or even static electricity—can trigger a massive explosion.
LPG, in particular, poses an even greater threat. It is stored under pressure and, when released, rapidly forms an invisible cloud of gas heavier than air, settling in low-lying areas. This gas cloud is highly flammable and can be ignited by a source far from the crash site.
Discover more from Energy News Africa
Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.