NADMO describes Apiate as uninhabitable town
We will take up all your medical costs, govt assures victims of Apiate blast
The Vice President, Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia, has commended the health workers at one of the major health facilities where injured persons are being attended to after the Bogoso-Apiate explosion on Thursday, January 20, 2022.
Speaking to the media after visiting victims of the explosion who are on admission at various health centers in the locality, he thanked the nurses and said that had it not been for their timey interventions, things might have gotten worse.
“We have visited a few of them and we want to thank the nurses and doctors in this hospital, Elizabeth Abakah, the administrator and the one in-charge here of the hospital. They’ve done a fantastic job in saving lives and their early intervention yesterday has helped a lot,” he said.
Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia also gave the government’s assurances to all the injured, and their families, that they would take up the costs of all the bills associated with their recovery.
“We want to assure all of those patients who are in there and their families that government is going to be responsible fully for all their medical debts and everything associated with their recovery,” he said.
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But how did the explosion happen?
According to the Ghana Police Service's situational report of the Thursday afternoon explosion, there was an accident involving a DAF truck with registration number WR 2252-18, that was transporting explosives from the MAXAM Company, Tarkwa, to Chirano Gold Mines and a motorcycle.
The rider of the motorcycle, the Police said, was from the opposite direction of the road, and rode under the oncoming vehicle at around 1.25 p.m.
Due to the impact of the crash, the motorcycle caught fire and ignited the explosives on the DAF truck before it burst into flames.
“D/Cpl Isaac Kamanim of Firearms Unit/Tarkwa was escorting explosives from MAXAM Company, Tarkwa, in a DAF van with registration no. WR 2252-18 driven by Alfred Pappoe to Chirano Gold Mines in the WNR.
“At a section of the road between Bogoso and Bawdie, a motorcycle rider from the opposite direction ran under the van carrying the explosives. The driver sustained a deep cut on the head and was rushed to Government Hospital, Tarkwa. The Police escort escaped unhurt,” the Police report indicated.
The motorcycle rider, on the other hand, died with some other victims from the village while some nearby buildings were razed down by the explosive fire.
“Extensive damage was caused to a nearby ECG transformer,” the Police said further.
The Ghana Police Service later deployed some officers from the Crime Scene Intelligence and CID Operations to the scene of the incident.
The teams were led by Deputy Regional Commander DCOP Adusah-Poku assisted by Regional Crime Officer C/SUPT Ebenezer Boryor and Supt. Saviour Ahiamadi.
Meanwhile, a delegation of government officials led by Vice President Dr Mahamudu Bawumia have arrived at Apiate to commiserate with the affected victims and gather first-hand information from the response activities.
Also part of the delegation is the Minister for Interior Ambrose Dery, Lands and Natural Resources Minister, Samuel Abdulai Jinapor, who have already visited the traditional leaders of the town.
President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo is expected to visit Apiate to assess the effectiveness of governments response efforts once the situation is brought under control.
