At least 17 people were killed and several dozen injured after a vehicular crash erupted in an explosion in western Ghana.
A truck carrying explosives to a gold mine in Ghana collided with a motorcycle on Thursday, setting off an explosion that ripped through the rural community of Apiate, authorities confirmed. The explosion created a massive crater and reduced several buildings to piles of debris.
“It is a truly sad, unfortunate and tragic incident, and I extend, on behalf of Government, deep condolences to the families of the deceased, and I wish the injured a speedy recovery,” Ghanan President Nana Akufo-Addo wrote on Twitter.
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Dozens of people have been killed by a huge explosion in western Ghana after a vehicle carrying mining explosives collided with a motorcycle.
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“Government will spare no effort to ensure a rapid return to a situation of normalcy for residents of Apiate,” he added.
Seji Saji Amedonu, deputy director-general of the National Disaster Management Organization, told Reuters that more than 500 buildings were destroyed in the explosion and that rescue efforts were still underway.
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The truck was owned by a company called Maxama, which was transporting explosives to the Chirano gold mine, police said. The mine is owned by the Toronto-based Kinross Gold Corporation.
The Ministry of Lands and Natural Resources is investigating the cause of the blast and whether the companies involved followed regulations covering transportation of explosives, officials said in a statement.
