At Least 17 Dead, Dozens Injured After Large Explosion Erupts in Ghana

A huge blast occurred on a road in the western region of Ghana when a vehicle carrying explosives collided with a motorcycle, leading to casualties, the police said. An estimated 17 are reported dead with dozens of others left injured.

The collision occurred at about 12 p.m. local time in Apiate, a town that sits just outside the Ghanian mining city of Bogoso – some 300 kilometers from Accra. Reports indicate that a massive crater was left in the area after the vehicle and motorcycle crashed.

An earlier statement issued by the local police detailed that preliminary findings determined the vehicle had been “moving from Tarkwa to Chirano mines” when it collided with the motorcycle, before stating that many of those injured had been transported to local area facilities.

“Most of the victims have been rescued and are in admission at various hospitals and clinics within the Bogoso Municipality,” the police wrote on Facebook.

Social media videos of the aftermath showed several buildings reduced to piles of wood and metal.

Explosion in a truck carrying explosives in western #Ghana. 17 dead and 59 injured. pic.twitter.com/UvTY1eOZFg

— Vikas Tripathi (@vikasjournolko) January 21, 2022

Seji Saji Amendonu, the deputy director general of the National Disaster Management Organization, relayed to Al Jazeera that some 500 buildings had been destroyed.

Rescue and recovery operations in the area of the incident are underway by emergency services. Citizens have been advised to stay out of the area, while residents of nearby towns have been asked to host survivors of the explosion.