The Ghana Police has urged all residents of Bogoso and the general public to remain calm after a ghastly explosion that took place this afternoon.

Issuing a notice on the incident which has caused the death of many and displaced the whole town, it assured the general public that it is managing the situation of an explosion in Apiate, a community near Bogoso in the Western Region.

“Emergency Public Notice! A huge explosion occurred this afternoon, Thursday, January 20, 2022, at Apiate between Bogoso and Bawdie in the Western Region. We urge all to remain calm as we manage this unfortunate situation.”
Ghana Police Service

The Service further indicated that together with other emergency service providers, they have activated a full emergency recovery exercise to handle the situation.

Meanwhile, the National Disaster Management has confirmed the unfortunate incident stating that rescue efforts have been intensified following the incident.

Reports indicate that human bodies have been mutilated, with buildings and other structures completely destroyed following the explosion with some residents describing the town to be looking like a “war torn country”.

A video footage of the aftermath of the explosion

Although the reason for the explosion isn’t in the public dormain yet, preliminary reports have it that a motor tricycle, popularly known as ‘Aboboyaa’ is said to have collided with a mining explosive vehicle moving from Tarkwa to Chirano mines, thereby, resulting in the explosion.

The Coordinator of the National Disaster Management Organization (NADMO), Francis Abeiku Yankah has confirmed that several people, with numbers unknown yet have died following the gas explosion in Apenti near Bogoso in the Western Region adding that the explosion ripped through the community.

He indicated that most of the victims who survived the explosion have been rescued and are on admission at various hospitals and clinics within the Bogoso Municipality.

Neighboring towns have been asked to open up their classrooms and churches to accommodate surviving victims as the public has been advised to move out of the area to nearby towns for their safety while recovery efforts are underway.

More to come…