NPA cautions public against siphoning fuel from overturned tankers

Nii Ayitey Brown 09:45 - 02 March 2026

The National Petroleum Authority (NPA) has warned the public against siphoning fuel from overturned tankers, stressing that petroleum products are highly flammable and can trigger deadly explosions.

The National Petroleum Authority (NPA) has issued a stark warning to the public to stay away from overturned fuel tankers and refrain from siphoning fuel, emphasising the extreme danger posed by volatile petroleum products.

The regulator’s caution follows a string of incidents where people have risked their lives to collect spilled fuel at accident scenes.

In an official safety advisory, the NPA implored the public saying:

Desist from getting closer to the scene to take pictures or videos. Petroleum products are volatile and highly flammable and a small spark can trigger a catastrophic explosion causing deaths and loss of properties.

❌🚷🚫❌🚷🚫
The National Petroleum Authority (NPA) is cautioning the general public against siphoning fuel from overturned fuel tankers.

Desist from getting closer to the scene to take pictures or videos ❌🚷.

Petroleum products are volatile and highly flammable and a small… pic.twitter.com/bCwAqSL5Ra
— NPA (@NPAGhana) March 2, 2026

The statement advised members of the public to call trained professionals such as the Ghana National Fire Service or Ghana police personnel to handle the scene, underlining that emergency responders are best suited to deal with such hazards safely.

“Your life is worth more than a gallon of fuel. STAY BACK & STAY SAFE ,” the NPA appealed to Ghanaians in the release.

Recent history highlights the NPA’s warning. On 14 February 2026, a fuel tanker explosion along the Nsawam-Accra highway resulted in multiple vehicles being engulfed in fire and several people injured when a collision triggered a massive blaze, illustrating how easily such products can cause catastrophe when mishandled.

Similarly, past warnings from the NPA have highlighted that siphoning fuel from overturned tankers can have fatal consequences.

In November 2025, the authority described such actions as “extremely dangerous” and a “major threat to public safety,” noting that the economic temptation of free fuel, sometimes a few hundred cedis, is not worth the life-threatening risk.

The NPA previously warned that petrol and even Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG) spills are incredibly unstable and can ignite unexpectedly with the slightest spark, including from a dropped container, vehicle engine, or static electricity.

The NPA’s appeal aligns with broader safety advice from emergency services such as the Ghana National Fire Service (GNFS), which is tasked with fire prevention, rescue operations and managing hazardous incidents, including fuel accidents.

The GNFS regularly trains personnel in handling explosive fire risks, stressing that untrained bystanders should never intervene at dangerous crash scenes.

The national regulator continues to educate Ghanaians that no amount of fuel is worth risking life and property, and that emergency services exist to manage such hazardous scenarios safely.

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