Ghana petrol station inferno kills about 175 in Accra

At least 175 people have died in a fire at a petrol station in Ghana's capital, Accra. The fire on Wednesday night started as people in the city were trying to cope with two days of heavy rain, which has left many homeless and without power. President John Dramani Mahama has announced three days of national mourning to begin on Monday. It is thought that people were in the petrol station sheltering from the downpours when the fire broke out. President Mahama visited the burnt-out petrol station and described the deaths as "catastrophic" and "almost unprecedented". He vowed to take tough measures to stop people building on waterways, which appeared to have been a factor in the disaster. Schools were closed across the capital and children asked to stay at home, according to BBC.