Bogoso-Appiatse explosion: Government supports affected families with GHC200,000

The government is set to establish GHC200, 000 fund to support families and victims of Thursday’s deadly explosion at Bogoso-Appiatse in the Western Region.

Dr Mahamudu Bawumia, the Vice-President of Ghana who led the National Emergency Response Team to Bogoso said the fund including food and other material items are initial provisions to help bring relief to the victims.

“Today, I want to give thanks to the Catholic Church and the Father here whom we have seen providing accommodation to the people who have been displaced. We’ll do everything that we are able to do to provide the need for all the displaced and to make sure all the sick is taken care of.

“…And we are presenting these things to the people through the municipal chief executive to make sure they’re distributed including a sum of GHC200,000 to take care of their initial need,” he stated.

Hospital bills for victims

Bawumia added that the government will take the cost of all hospital bills of victims who have been admitted at the various health facilities.

He said: “With all those who have been admitted at the hospitals, we have informed the hospitals that the government will take up the cost of all the hospital bills for all the victims,.”

At least 13 persons have so far been confirmed dead in the Bogoso-Appiatse explosion, leaving hundreds of locals displaced, an official government statement said.

The police said a preliminary investigation has established that a mining explosive vehicle moving from Tarkwa to Chirano mines collided with a motorcycle resulting in the explosion.

Relief centres

Speaking to the media, the Municipal Chief Executive for Prestea Huni-Valley Dr Isaac Asamani said they have set up relief centres to accommodate most of the displaced people as the search and rescue operation continues.

“We’ve set up relief centres. The whole community is gone. All the roofs have been ripped off and some of the buildings have collapsed. Some were trapped in their rooms but we’ve been able to rescue them. It’s a very sad day for me. We are appealing to churches and schools in nearby villages to make their buildings available for the displaced persons to get a place to sleep for the meantime,” he added.