By Boakye Stephen, Kumasi | Reporting for Ghana News Canada
A terrifying fuel tanker explosion has thrown the Teacher Mante stretch of the Nsawam-Accra Road into chaos in the early hours of Saturday, February 14, 2026, leaving vehicles destroyed and raising fresh fears about public safety on Ghana’s highways.
Preliminary reports indicate that the tanker was involved in a collision with another vehicle before bursting into flames. The impact is believed to have triggered a powerful explosion, with fire spreading rapidly and engulfing at least four nearby vehicles. Eyewitness videos circulating online show the charred remains of cars and the tanker itself, burned beyond recognition, as thick smoke rose high into the morning sky.
Personnel from the Ghana National Fire Service were seen working tirelessly to bring the situation under control. Emergency responders battled the blaze for hours, preventing it from spreading further along the busy highway.
As of now, the full extent of casualties and property damage remains unclear. Authorities have yet to release an official statement confirming injuries or fatalities, while investigations into the exact cause of the explosion continue.
Commentary
This incident is yet another painful reminder that a tanker is extremely dangerous, even when it appears to have no fuel inside. Many people do not realize that residual fuel vapors alone can ignite and cause a deadly explosion. In recent times, when tankers have fallen, crowds have rushed toward them to fetch diesel or petrol, only for fire to break out suddenly, leading to the loss of innocent lives.
Such scenes are heartbreaking and avoidable. No drop of fuel is worth a human life. When a tanker falls, the safest decision is always to stay far away and allow emergency services to handle the situation. Public education on this danger must be intensified so that curiosity and desperation do not continue to turn accidents into national tragedies.
Motorists and residents are being urged to exercise extreme caution when using the Nsawam, Accra stretch and to avoid gathering at accident scenes involving fuel tankers. What appears to be an ordinary crash can become a deadly inferno within seconds.
Further updates are expected as authorities release confirmed details on the incident.
