90 killed in petrol station explosion in Ghana

More than 90 people have died in a fire at a petrol station in Ghana's capital, Accra, the fire service says.

The fire started as people in the city are trying to cope with two days of heavy rain, which has left many homeless and without power.

The flooding hampered the rescue efforts, the BBC's Sammy Darko reports from Accra.

There are fears that the death toll could rise as the search for bodies continues.

It is thought that people were in the petrol station sheltering from the downpour when the fire began, our correspondent says.

President John Mahama has visited the burnt-out petrol station and has appealed for calm as the authorities try to cope with the aftermath of the fire and the flooding.

Many homes have been inundated and people have been wandering around in their nightclothes after being forced to leave their beds.

One man told a local radio station that he had put his children on top of a wardrobe to save them from the water coming into his house.

Weather forecasters are saying that more rain is on its way.