Leading gold mining company, Gold Fields Limited, says the mining industry in Ghana can learn from the unfortunate Bogoso-Appiate explosion disaster and become better going forward.
The January 20 explosion occurred along the Tarkwa-Bogoso-Ayamfuri road after a truck transporting mining explosives collided with a motorcycle, according to the Police.
At least 13 people have been confirmed dead as a result of the explosion, with over 170 families directly affected by the incident.
Individuals, companies and the government have all been contributing in varied ways to provide shelter and support for the victims and families of the disaster.
The Acting Executive Vice President and Head of Gold Fields in West Africa, Joshua Mortoti noted that priority should be given to rebuilding the community and lives of the people of Appiate.
“We are keen to learn from the investigation report, to understand what happened and what additional steps we can take going forward. But I must assure you that the regulations that we have around transportation, storage and handling of explosives in this country are really solid. It has boded well for us for all these years. That however doesn’t mean what we have is full-proof, at least we can learn from the investigations to do better going forward. The first thing for us however is to provide relief for the people of Appiate.”
“We were one of the very first people to donate tents, mattresses, food items, water and the likes to the affected people. We are also working with the government through our chamber on how the community can be rebuilt,” he added.
Ashantibiz
