WARNING: GRAPHIC VIDEO CONTENT

Gas explosion in Ghana
Photos and video of the explosion are circulating on social media Twitter

A massive explosion at a gas station in Ghana has sparked panic as a giant fireball erupted into the sky.

The blaze in the capital Accra started at 7.30pm local time (8.30pm GMT). The explosion rocked the town and could be heard by local residents up to two miles away.

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Emergency services rushed to the scene in Atomic Junction in the suburb of Legon, close to the base of the Ghana Atomic Energy Commission, who are responsible for researching nuclear power for the African nation.

It has been reported that the fire started at a station that sells liquefied natural gas and spread to a petrol station across the street.

Eyewitnesses reported seeing thousands of people running for their lives to escape the inferno in Atomic Junction. Dramatic video of the blast has been shared on social media.

Reporter Franklin Badu told local radio: "There was a huge explosion that shook the hall where I was. It appears that the gas flared into the atmosphere and the inferno followed suit. Students numbering thousands are fleeing for their lives."

Homes have been evacuated around the city.

Ghanaian rapper MC M.anifest tweeted: "We've evacuated our houses!!! Everyone has. Huge explosion and raging fire. Unbelievable."

Reporter Richard Dela Sky said: "I can hear piercing sound of gas explosion. I can see a lot of fire tenders here trying to put the fire off."The residual gas in the container is burning. I can still hear sounds of explosion.

"The whole area has been cordoned off by the police. No vehicle is being allowed to the scene."

While seven vehicles have been burnt out, there have been no confirmed reports of casualties though two people were hit by a van while trying to escape the scene, Mail Online reports.

Accra, has a population of four million people, but the city's Colonial-era infrastructure increasingly fails to cope with residents' demands. In June 2015, at least 250 people were killed in an explosion at a petrol station in Accra.