At least 17 killed and 500 homes damaged after truck carrying explosives collides with motorcycle in Ghana
- 17 people have been killed and at least 59 injured after a truck carrying explosives rammed into a motorcycle at a gold mine in western Ghana.
- The government said on Friday that the collision triggered an explosion that flattened a rural community.
- Social media videos show hundreds of buildings covered in piles of wood, rubble and bent metal
- The dead bodies were torn to pieces on the ground surrounded by debris from the accident.
- A photo shared by a local politician shows a yawning crater at the center of the explosion, with onlookers looking down from its rim
At least 17 people were killed and several injured after a truck carrying explosives collided with a motorcycle at a gold mine in western Ghana, the government said on Friday, triggering an explosion in a rural community.
As rescue workers searched the site for survivors, videos posted to local media showed hundreds of buildings reduced to piles of wood, rubble and bent metal, and bodies fell to the ground surrounded by rubble.
A photo shared by a local politician shows a yawning crater at the center of the explosion, with onlookers looking down from its rim.
At least 17 people were killed in an explosion in western Ghana yesterday after a motorcycle collided with a vehicle carrying explosives
An additional 59 people were injured in Thursday’s massive explosion, AFP said.
Seji Saji Amedonu, deputy director general of the National Disaster Management Organisation, said about 500 buildings were destroyed and rescue efforts were still on.
The explosion took place on Thursday in Apiate, located between the cities of Bogoso and Bavadi, when a motorcycle rammed under a truck owned by a company called Maxam, which was carrying explosives at the Chirano gold mine operated by Toronto-based Kinross Gold Corporation. Police said.
Kinross confirmed the incident and said he was monitoring the situation and rescue efforts. Maxam could not be reached for comment.
The eruption appears to have completely leveled Apiate, a small town in western Ghana.
Police said most of the victims had been rescued and admitted to various hospitals and clinics (Picture: Large crater in the ground created by the explosion)
The government said the accident survivors were in critical condition after being evacuated to medical facilities in the capital Accra.
The Ministry of Land and Natural Resources is investigating the cause of the blast and whether the companies involved have complied with the rules for the transportation of explosives, a statement said.
The government said survivors in critical condition were being evacuated to medical facilities in the capital, Accra.
There was considerable debris at the scene after the explosion at Apiate on Thursday
Ghana has recently experienced several gas explosions. One of the country’s deadliest explosions as recently as 2015 killed more than 150 people in Accra.
The trade took place as hundreds of residents took shelter at a gas station from heavy rain.
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