A massive explosion at Appiate, a town between Bogoso and Bawdie, has left scores of people dead.
The explosion is said to have occurred this afternoon, Thursday, January 20, 2022, in the Western Region destroying several houses and structures in the town rendering dozens displaced.
As at 5:00p, a total of 17 people have been confirmed dead, while 59 injured persons have been rescued so far.
The incident was confirmed by the Ghana Police Service via its official Facebook page.
According to the GPS, “the Police and other emergency service providers have activated a full emergency recovery exercise”.
“Preliminary reports indicate that there was an accident involving a truck conveying explosive material for a mining company, a motorcycle, and a third vehicle close to an electricity transformer, leading to the explosion”, a statement from the Information Ministry has disclosed.
Personnel and resources have been dispatched to the community to support the response effort while an alternative route has been created to facilitate the movement of stranded vehicles plying that route.
The Minister for Information, Kojo Oppong-Nkrumah, has revealed that “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”.
“To forestall a secondary explosion, a joint team of police and military explosion experts has been deployed to examine the situation and put in place the requisite measures”.
The police have also urged all to remain calm as they manage this unfortunate situation while pledging to release further details in due course.
