GAS EXPLOSION; My Story...

BHOOM!!!!!!!
That was the sound that followed the bright red light appearing suddenly throughout the sky. I ran out of my room trying to figure out what could be happening.
'Bro, please what was that sound?' I asked a housemate.
'I hear say some gas explode for atomic junction.' He said in his Nigerian accent.
That was when my brain put things together and my limbs began to tremble. My teeth began to chatter and I wondered if I had become cold or scared.
I distanced myself from the explosion as far as I could, striving hard to widen the space between myself and the smoke. I was not only avoiding the gas fire, but also the naked wires over my head; the live wires scattered above me with no proper insulation. Trying to find a safe place, which does not exist when talking about a gas explosion of such proportions, so many questions ran through my mind. Inappropriate siting of fuel stations in this country is costing us precious lives, yet nothing is being done about it.

Two students were hit by a car which happened to be on top speed. Another thing to watch out for amidst this terror are oncoming cars as one tries to find a comfort zone for my weak body. Be it a park, a cage or a zoo, no one cares. All we can think about at such times is safety first. The driver I believe was also running to safety. When people cannot identify their homes and their family members, it is easy for a driver to run into people without realizing it. Possibly he could not tell which of the foot pedals applied the breaks and which turn of the steering wheel makes the car go left or right. I am not defending the driver. Concentration and calmness are required for a safe drive. But both of these were lost because of the gas explosion.

I remember admiring these houses in my new vicinity. They are so beautiful and obviously belong to some quite well-to-do people. But this nightmare has washed away my admiration as the owners come out running onto the streets, leaving their charred cars and burning houses behind. We are all on the streets, our beautiful houses and cars could not give us shelter. Our money could not safeguard us and not even a private jet could have been of help at that moment. We were left with our Creator, our lips were murmuring for forgiveness and mercy while our hearts yearned for comfort and peace. I met a young girl who was also a survivor of this gas explosion. She narrates her ordeal:

"I followed mum out of the house, along with my sisters. We headed in the opposite direction from the fire and started running. After some time, a lot more people joined us and I could not see my sister anymore. I could see the dress of my mum, but she was too far for me to reach her. It was too noisy to shout, but I still did. She didn't hear me over the chaos. I can not bear being alone and lost in this disaster. I shouted whiles running towards the dress, but it kept getting farther and farther away until I completely lost sight of it. I turned around to see how far I was from home, but I could not see home. It was a crowd on their heels I saw. I was short of breath, but I kept running until I could not go again. Fear had gripped my heart and my tears started falling freely. At first, it was just a few silent sobs. But when the thought of not seeing my mum and my sister again hit my mind, coupled with the realization that there is a possibility I might die here, the rate of flow of my tears increased, and I could not help but cry out loud. It was very painful. It felt like my heart was about to explode or get ripped out. I was angry with the owner of the gas station. I was angry with mum and sissy for not turning to find me. I am angry with everybody who has a connection to the pain my heart is feeling right now; from those who issued a permit for the station to stand close to my house to those who made a mistake and caused the explosion. I need my family back. I need my smile back. All those with responsibility should honour it so no child will ever have to feel what I am feeling today. I have been with the media for almost 36 hours now and yet there is no sign of my family. Are they alive? That, I will not break my heart with. I believe they will come for me soon, for it is better late than never. My name is precious, and I am waiting for my family to find me."

I was a few kilometers away from the gas station, but the vibration that was exerted on my window was massive. It was as if my window had been hit by one of the neighborhood boys with a foot ball. I still murmur silent phrases of gratitude to God that the window was closed. If that force had hit me directly, my eardrums would probably not be functioning effectively as at now.
Ghana has experienced about eight deadly Gas explosions within the last five years. Each of these explosions came with a new pain; from burning hundreds of people to driving a lot more out of their homes. This recent one introduced missing children and car accidents. Who knows when the next one will be and what it will come along with. None of us can see the pain the future holds. But we all know, if not how to eliminate it, but how to reduce it's intensity.

The Authorities will come around to show sympathy, talk shows will discuss it, NGO's will help who they can, and within the twinkle of an eye it will all be over. In the worst case scenario, the gas station will be re-established at the same venue.
God Bless Our Homeland Ghana. Every time disasters happen, we stress on how dangerous things have become, and why 'now' is the time for action. But it seems we love more to talk and share opinions on issues than taking action to solve the problems. We wait for disasters to happen and then we come into the spotlight and blame each other. The blame game goes on for some time until something else comes to overshadow it. We then turn our attention towards this new thing and never look back. 'pain occurs in just a second' as it is commonly said. But in Ghana, pain occurs in a split second. While others look back to make sure the future has less hurdles, Ghanaians walk straight ahead, forgetting to take along the lessons learned from the problems of today, not to talk of those from yesterday.
Let's learn to act more than we talk, and learn more from the experience.

We are calling on the  Environmental Protection Agency (EPA),
Ghana National Fire Service (GNFS),
National Disaster Management Organization (NADMO),
The National Petroleum Authority (NPA),
Ministry of Energy,
Ministry of Interior (The Security Agencies),
Non - governmental Organizations, to come together as one in fighting the menace, and also to come up with policies that fight such unforgivably preventable disasters.

Peace be unto you.
Your sister,
Nuhu Alimatu Sadia
Ummi.ug@gmail.com
Ummuabuuha.blogspot.com