Gas cylinder explosions: Ghana’s quiet killer

In homes and other places across Ghana, the familiar click of a gas burner has replaced the crackle of charcoal fires.

Liquefied Petroleum Gas has become the fuel of choice for millions of households and businesses because it is cleaner, faster, and more convenient.

Yet with that convenience has come a growing danger that lurks quietly inside kitchens, corridors and workshops.

Over the past few years, gas explosions have claimed and scarred countless lives. At the Korle Bu Teaching Hospital, doctors say that burns from LPG-related accidents now make up more than a third of all burn cases.

A nationwide review found that about one in every three burn victims in Ghana was injured in a gas explosion, and nearly half of all burn-related deaths came from the same cause.

Fire officers and safety experts say the causes are often simple but deadly: keeping gas cylinders indoors, poor ventilation, worn-out hoses and regulators, and the widespread use of second-hand or expired cylinders.

In many cases, small leaks go unnoticed until one spark turns them into tragedy.

A burns specialist at Korle Bu told The Ghana Report that most of these explosions could be avoided with basic precautions.

“People ignore the early warning signs. You don’t need to see fire to know you’re in danger. Sometimes all it takes is the smell of gas,” he said.

In this report, The Ghana Report highlights some of the recent gas explosions that have disrupted many lives.

• 4 in critical condition after gas explosion at Adum

On September 24, 2025, four people were severely injured following a gas explosion opposite the Sanbra Hotel at Adum in the Kumasi Metropolis.

The incident occurred around 5:50 a.m., when a food vendor and her assistants were preparing meals for sale. Eyewitnesses reported hearing a loud blast and rushing to the scene, where they discovered four victims with severe injuries.

The injured were immediately transported to the Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital for emergency treatment.

• Accra Arts Centre fire leaves many homeless after gas explosion

The Ghana National Fire Service (GNFS) on Tuesday, June 24, 2025, confirmed that it successfully brought under control a fire that swept through wooden structures at the Arts Centre in Accra following a gas explosion

The blaze, which erupted opposite the National Lotteries office, did not result in any injuries or fatalities.

In a statement posted on its official Facebook page, the GNFS noted that the fire was reported at 6:20 pm and had already reached an advanced stage by the time the crew from the Ministries Fire Station arrived at 6:26 pm.

Due to non-functional hydrants in the area, four additional fire engines were dispatched from the Electoral Commission, Accra City, Parliament House, and the Greater Accra Regional Headquarters substations to support the operation.

• New Juaben: One dead, two hospitalised after gas explosion at Oyoko

In March 2025, a young boy and a lady were left battling for their lives at the Eastern Regional Hospital following severe burns sustained from a gas explosion at their home at Oyoko, a suburb within the New Juaben North Municipality of the Eastern Region.

Another victim, who has been identified as Asante Rose, a Purchasing and Supply student of the Koforidua Technical University, unfortunately died a few moments after arrival at the hospital following the explosion.

According to sources, a gas leakage was identified in the kitchen, and Rose, who wanted to locate the exact source of the leakage, unfortunately lit a match in the process, leading to the explosion.

The younger brother of Rose and their neighbour were caught up in the explosion and were all rushed to the Koforidua Central Hospital, where Rose later passed on to glory.

• Gas explosion in Kumasi leaves three dead, one injured
  
  

Another case happened on April 10, 2024, when three relatives lost their lives in a domestic gas explosion in Sepe, a suburb of Kumasi, in the Ashanti region.

The three relatives were Hamdella Jibril, 37, Kenyeyiti Meena-Lla Adam, 5, and Rafat Haruna, 18. Another individual, Majid Adams, sustained injuries.

The explosion occurred after Hamdella detected a gas leak from the six-kilogramme gas cylinder in the kitchen.

Unaware of a coal pot at the back of the kitchen, Jibril moved the cylinder behind the kitchen to inspect the leakage. Unfortunately, this caused the explosion and killed the three instantly.

The affected family buried the deceased without informing the police.

An informant alerted the police on April 19, 2024, prompting an investigation into the incident.

The police confirmed the deaths and injuries, with three family members invited for questioning.

• 50-year-old man killed in gas explosion incident at Suame

On March 25, 2024, a gas cylinder explosion at Suame Magazine in the Ashanti Region resulted in the death of a 50-year-old carbide welder, identified as Kwabena Afriyie.

The unfortunate incident happened at about 4:00 pm.

Information gathered indicates that Kwabena Afriyie was working on a car when the liquid oxygen cylinder exploded, immediately ripping his body apart, leading to his death.

An eyewitness, Mr. Saani Abubarkar, disclosed that the deceased died instantly after the incident.

The mutilated body parts were conveyed to the morgue by the police.

• 2 dead, 5 hospitalised in Spintex gas explosion

In May 2024, two people were reported dead, with five others injured, following an explosion at Joyea Construction at Spintex along the Accra-Tema motorway on Friday afternoon.

Tema Regional Public Relations Officer of the Ghana National Fire Service, DOIII Ebenezer Yenzu, confirmed that they received a call after the incident around 2:20 pm.

According to him, no fire was generated in the explosion, but he said the fire team would investigate the exact cause of the explosion, as several factors could have contributed to it.

He believed finding the exact cause would help avert a recurrence in future.

• Security man killed in oxygen cylinder Explosion At Eastern Regional Hospital

A year prior, a security man at the Eastern Regional Hospital at Koforidua met his untimely death after a medical oxygen cylinder exploded.

The incident occurred on Thursday, September 21, 2023, at around 9 pm.

According to reports, the victim was assisting with offloading the cylinders at the hospital’s Oxygen Unit when one crashed on the ground and exploded.

He suffered injuries to his face, upper arm, and abdomen. His upper arm was said to have shattered.

He passed on after being rushed to the hospital’s Intensive Care Unit.