A potentially catastrophic fire was narrowly avoided in the early hours of Thursday evening following a collision between a fuel tanker and a long-haul truck at the Alinco Filling Station in Kpong.

The Ghana National Fire Service (GNFS) confirmed that despite the high-risk location of the accident, no injuries or fatalities were recorded. The incident, which occurred on March 26, was reported to the Kpong Municipal Fire Service at 19:09 hours, with a rescue crew dispatched to the scene within sixty seconds.

According to the official situational report filed by the Eastern Regional Public Relations Officer, the accident was triggered by the reckless manoeuvre of a motorbike rider.

A Renault long vehicle (registration GS 1187-11) was forced to veer sharply off its course to avoid the motorcyclist, who had made an illegal and wrong turn. This sudden swerve caused the Renault driver to crash into a stationary DAF fuel tanker (registration GN 8884-13) parked at the filling station.

Tension was high as emergency responders arrived at the filling station, fearing a massive explosion. However, in a stroke of luck, fire officers discovered that the DAF tanker had already discharged its flammable contents prior to the impact.

“The fuel tanker had already discharged its contents, averting a potential fire hazard,” the GNFS stated in their report. While both heavy-duty vehicles sustained partial structural damage, the absence of fuel meant that the collision did not escalate into a fire.

The GNFS Eastern Regional Command credited the "swift response" of the Kpong crew for securing the site and preventing any post-collision complications. Firefighters remained on the scene to manage traffic and ensure the stability of the damaged vehicles before the situation was declared fully under control.

This latest incident has once again highlighted the dangers posed by erratic motorcycle manoeuvres on major transit routes, particularly near highly flammable zones like filling stations.