A major road incident disrupted traffic at the Valco Roundabout in Tema on Friday morning after a fuel tanker overturned, spilling a large quantity of cargo onto the roadway.
The vehicle, a Bulk Road Vehicle with registration number GN 4978-12, was reportedly transporting about 50,000 litres of naphthalene condensate from Atuabo to the Tema Oil Refinery when it lost balance and fell onto its side.
The overturning of the tanker resulted in a significant spill, raising concerns due to the flammable nature of the substance. Although a portion of the product was lost, some of the cargo was carefully salvaged at the scene.
The accident quickly led to heavy traffic build-up, with congestion stretching as far as the Motorway Roundabout as motorists struggled to navigate the affected stretch.
Responding swiftly, the Ghana National Fire Service arrived at the scene within minutes, deploying multiple units to contain the situation. Fire crews focused on hazard control and spill containment, while remaining on standby in case of fire due to the volatile nature of the substance.
Fortunately, both the driver and his assistant escaped with minor injuries to their palms, and no fatalities were recorded.
Recovery efforts saw the deployment of a heavy-duty crane from Jatot Services, which carefully lifted the overturned tanker to clear the road. The prime mover was later towed to the Community One Police Station, while another tanker was used to transport the recovered product for safe handling.
With coordinated efforts from the fire service and the Ghana Police Service, the scene was secured, risks were minimized, and traffic was gradually restored.
Around 10:00 a.m., the affected section of the road was reopened, allowing normal traffic flow to resume after hours of disruption caused by the overturned tanker.
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