The fire that engulfed the town of Atwedie near Konongo in the Asante Akyim District of the Ashanti Region after an LPG tanker exploded and caught fire on Friday evening has claimed three lives. Eighteen others who also suffered varying degrees of burns and were rushed to hospital are receiving treatment at the Konongo Hospital. Only three of the 18 persons who suffered the burns, described by medics as serious and in some cases critical, have been discharged. An eye witness, Vincent, traveling on the Kumasi – Nkawkaw road told Joy News the raging fire also resulted in the burning of houses and raised clouds of thick smoke over the town. Fire tenders from Nkawkaw and Konongo, he said, had a hectic time fighting the intensely burning fire which sent several inhabitants out of their homes to escape the blaze. The tanker was believed to be heading for Burkina Faso and caught the fire as it attempted to overtake another vehicle. The situation virtually brought vehicular traffic to a standstill at both ends of the town.