Ghana Shuts Flooded Fuel Stations, Warns Operators

Ghana's National Petroleum Authority (NPA) has ordered the immediate shutdown of all fuel stations affected by flooding, directing operators to suspend fuel sales until safety inspections confirm the facilities can resume operations without endangering lives or property.

The directive follows heavy rainfall that swept across parts of the country from Sunday night into Monday, inundating fuel stations and other critical infrastructure, particularly in the capital, Accra.

In a statement issued on Monday, the downstream petroleum regulator instructed operators to halt fuel dispensing, loading and offloading wherever floodwaters have reached station forecourts, underground storage tank areas, fill points, vent pipes or other critical installations.

The NPA warned that any operator who ignores the directive or resumes operations without regulatory clearance would face sanctions, including suspension of operations and possible prosecution.

Safety measures before operations resume

The authority directed fuel station operators to disconnect electricity to pumps, dispensers, canopy lighting and other forecourt equipment where it is safe to do so, evacuate staff and customers, and establish an exclusion zone of at least 100 metres around affected facilities.

It also prohibited smoking, naked flames, welding and other activities capable of igniting flammable vapours within the safety perimeter.

According to the regulator, operations can only resume after floodwaters have receded, the station has undergone joint inspections by the NPA and the Ghana National Fire Service (GNFS), and qualified personnel have certified underground storage tanks, pipelines, dispensers and associated equipment fit for service.

The authority added that contaminated fuel and hazardous waste must be removed and disposed of in line with environmental regulations, warning that selling contaminated petroleum products constitutes a breach of petroleum laws and would attract severe penalties.

The NPA urged operators to promptly report incidents to its regional offices, the Ghana National Fire Service, the Environmental Protection Agency and their respective oil marketing companies.

It also advised members of the public to avoid entering or driving through flooded fuel stations and to report any fuel-related hazards observed around affected facilities.

The regulator said it would carry out nationwide compliance inspections to ensure affected outlets remain closed until they receive the required safety clearance.

The directive comes as Ghana grapples with widespread flooding that has also disrupted electricity supply after the temporary shutdown of key power substations in Accra, underscoring the growing vulnerability of the country's critical energy infrastructure to extreme weather events.