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More than 70 people have died in a fire at a petrol station in Ghana's capital, Accra, the fire service says, the BBC reports. 

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 from the fire could rise as the search for bodies continues.

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 heavy rain.

There are chaotic scenes in the city with cars being carried away by the water and many roads blocked off.

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.