Local News

The stone blasting incident at Gomoa Buduburam by the contractor working on the Kasoa to Winneba highway that resulted in the death of three people with injuries to 39 others on Monday afternoon was accidental, according to preliminary information gathered by the Ministry of Roads and Highways. The three deceased persons died on the spot following the blasting of rocks at Big Apple at Gomoa Buduburam, near Kasoa in the Gomoa East District in the Central Region. Out of 39 others who sustained various injuries in the 3:30pm tragedy, four of them were referred to the 37 Military Hospital in Accra and the Winneba Specialist Trauma Centre. Those killed were two females and a male. The Head of Public Relations of the Ministry of Roads and Highways, Nasir Ahmad Yartey, told Graphic Online that a tunnel similar to what is at the Legon Police Station that connects Okponglo traffic light to the Presec traffic light was being constructed at the location of the accidental explosion. Mr Yartey said preliminary indications point to the incident as an accident, describing it as “unfortunate”. He said the Ministry was still investigating to establish the full facts. During the construction works, the contractor encountered in the ground a huge rock, known as the hardpan rock, 45 metres deep and 20 metres wide, which needed to be blasted. As of Monday [October 14], the contractor had undertaken 21 controlled blasting at the location, the public relations officer of the ministry told Graphic Online. Each time, it is done in collaboration with the National Disaster Management Organisation (NADMO) and the police, Mr Yartey added. The protocol was for NADMO to undertake prior sensitisation before the blasting took place. “We send condolences to all affected persons. We are still verifying the facts and casualties and we are working with the police, NADMO and all relevant state institutions”, he explained. Calm Mr Yartey said following the accident some youth attacked the workers of the contractor and about 20 workers were beaten, the construction camp was vandalised. We want to call upon the youth to exercise restraint; it is an accident, and it will be investigated to the letter, he said. The Head of PR also called on the police to provide security for the contractors and their workers, saying, We don’t want to lose any more life or property. Four of the injured persons were referred to the 37 Military Hospital in Accra because of the nature of their injuries, a doctor from the St Gregory Hospital at Buduburam told Graphic Online. Some eyewitnesses said the debris from the blast flew to nearby homes and injured people. Photos and videos shared from the scene of the incident showed many injured persons and destruction of property. Graphic Online’s Emmanuel Bonney reported that the incident happened around the Big Apple area of Gomoa Buduburam in the Gomoa East District of the Central Region at about 3:30 pm. Some residents told our reporter that the blasting was done by the construction firm in charge of the dualisation of the Kasoa to Winneba road. The blasting exercise, they said was to clear the huge rocks that were underground. However, they said instead of the blasting taking place at about 5 p.m. as usual, it was done earlier around 3:30 p.m. “The blast I am told was supposed to go off at around 5pm. Unfortunately, it blasted around 3.30 p.m, so the people were not aware that it was blasting time,” Kpakpo, one of the residents told Graphic Online. He said the victims lived around the area and that they were hit by flying stones. Kpakpo said particles went into peoples homes. “Maybe the person who set the dynamite got the timing wrong hence the tragedy,” he said. The injured and deceased were sent to the St Gregory Hospital at Buduburam.