An explosion at Appiatse in the Bogoso District of the Western Region has claimed seventeen lives and about fifty-nine injured people have been rescued from the rubble.
This brings to seventy-six, the number of persons known, so far, to have been affected by Thursday’s tragedy.
According to the Ministry of Information, a National Emergency Response Mechanism was activated which saw personnel from the Police Service, Fire Service, the Municipal Authority, and residents moving to help.
The incident occurred when an accident involving a truck conveying explosives for a mining company, a motorcycle, and another vehicle near an electricity transformer, reduced the town of Appiatse to rubble.
Out of the fifty-nine injured persons, forty-two are receiving treatment, and some are in critical condition.
The Ministry said additional personnel and resources have been dispatched to the community to support the ongoing response effort.
“An alternative route has been created to facilitate the movement of stranded vehicles plying that route. All hospitals within the vicinity are being used to treat injured persons, and an evacuation plan has been activated to move those in critical condition to medical facilities in Accra so they can get the needed assistance.”
The statement from the Ministry further indicated that to forestall a secondary explosion at the site, a joint team of police and military explosion experts has been deployed to examine the situation and put in place requisite measures.
Government has set in motion efforts to get stranded community members shelter and other basic necessities.
“We would want to urge the public to remain calm and obtain regular updates from the national emergency response team. At 11:00 am tomorrow, the emergency response team will provide updates from the scene of the incident,” the statement said.
The government has commended the response team for their support so far.
“Government further expresses deep condolences to the families of the deceased and sends best wishes to the injured for their speedy recovery. As relief and containment efforts continue, and the situation is brought under considerable control, President Akufo-Addo will visit Appiatse to assess the effectiveness of the response effort,” the statement concluded.
Some images and videos of the devastated Appiatse have emerged. The public has been advised to move out of the area whiles recovery efforts are undertaken.
