At least 17 persons have so far been confirmed dead in the Bogoso-Appiatse explosion in the Western Region on Thursday, leaving hundreds of locals displaced, an official government statement said.

The police said preliminary investigation has established that a mining explosive vehicle moving from Tarkwa to Chirano mines collided with a motorcycle resulting in the explosion.

“As at 17:00 hours, a total of seventeen (17) people have, sadly, been confirmed dead, and fifty-nine (59) injured persons had been rescued, bringing to seventy-six (76) the number of persons known, so far, to have been affected by the tragedy. Out of the fifty-nine (59) injured persons, forty-two (42) are receiving treatment and some in critical condition,” the Information minister Kojo Oppong Nkrumah said in a statement.

He added: “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.”

Below is the full statement:

Relief centres
Speaking to the media, the Municipal Chief Executive for Prestea Huni-Valley Dr Isaac Asamani said they have set up relief centres to accommodate most of the displaced people as the search and rescue operation continues.