June 3 disaster case nears judgment as victims seek GH¢40 million compensation
Families still grappling with the aftermath of the June 3, 2015 disaster may soon see closure, as the long running legal case over compensation for victims moves into its final stages.
After eight years of court proceedings, the case in which survivors and dependents are seeking GH¢40 million in damages is expected to be concluded soon, with hearings scheduled later this month.
Speaking at a press briefing, Senyo R. Hosi, Governor of the One Ghana Movement, said 69 survivors and dependents filed the suit in 2018 against GOIL, the National Petroleum Authority (NPA), and the Accra Metropolitan Assembly (AMA).
He noted that the case against a fuel station dealer and manager, Mr Thompson, was discontinued following his death.
According to counsel, the plaintiffs are alleging negligence on the part of the institutions involved, which they say resulted in loss of lives, injuries, and long term economic hardship.
“What the victims are claiming is that these bodies were negligent and because of their negligence they suffered what they suffered,” counsel said.
“We are in court seeking forty million Ghana cedis in damages for the lives that have been lost, the properties that cannot be recovered, and victims left in a state that they cannot work anymore.”
Case enters final phase
Lawyers involved in the matter say the trial is now at its concluding stage.
All witnesses for the victims have already testified, with seven survivors giving evidence in open court. GOIL and the NPA have also closed their witness testimonies.
At present, the Accra Metropolitan Assembly’s witness is still being cross-examined. The court is expected to sit on June 15 and June 18, 2026 for the AMA to conclude its evidence.
After that, GOIL and the NPA are expected to cross-examine the AMA witness before the court proceeds to final written submissions.
Counsel for the victims says the case is now nearing its end and could be concluded within the year.
“After that then the other parties, that is GOIL and then NPA, may decide to cross examine the witness of AMA. At this stage we are getting close to the end,” counsel stated.
A tragedy still remembered
The June 3, 2015 disaster remains one of Ghana’s deadliest peacetime tragedies. It occurred when a GOIL fuel station near the Kwame Nkrumah Circle exploded during heavy flooding.
More than 150 people lost their lives, many of them taking shelter from the rain at the time, while several others sustained injuries and properties worth millions were destroyed.
A decade on, survivors continue to live with lasting physical, emotional, and economic consequences as they await final judgment in the case.