ACCRA JUNE 5, 2015(CISA) – Pope Francis has sent his “heartfelt condolences” to the relatives of those killed and injured in the petrol explosion in Accra, Ghana.
In a telegram sent through the Secretary of State Cardinal Pietro Parolin on Friday June 5, Pope Francis “commended the souls of the departed to Almighty God and invoked the “divine gifts of consolation and strength upon those who mourn and upon all who have been affected by this tragedy.”
Over 100 people are reported to have been killed in the disaster, Ghana’s President John Dramani Mahama announced three days of national mourning to begin on Monday June 8.
The fire on Wednesday night started as people in the city were trying to cope with two days of heavy rain, which has left many homeless and without power, BBC reported.
President Mahama visited the burnt-out petrol station and described the deaths as “catastrophic” and “almost unprecedented.”
He vowed to take tough measures to stop people building on waterways, which appeared to have been a factor in the disaster.
