Buduburam: Stone blasting incident that killed 3 and injured 39 was accidental - Ministry

A rock blasting incident that occurred on Monday afternoon in Gomoa Buduburam has been confirmed as accidental by the Ministry of Roads and Highways, Graphic Online reports.

The tragic event, which resulted in the deaths of three individuals and injuries to 39 others, happened during construction work on the Kasoa to Winneba highway.

Preliminary information indicates that the blasting,

Read full articleintended to remove a large hardpan rock, took place earlier than scheduled at approximately 3:30 PM instead of the usual time of 5 PM.

The three victims, comprising two females and a male, died at the scene of the explosion, while 39 others sustained various injuries. Among those injured, four individuals were referred to the 37 Military Hospital in Accra and the Winneba Specialist Trauma Centre for specialized care.

Eyewitnesses reported that debris from the blast flew into nearby homes, causing additional injuries.

A local resident, Kpakpo, mentioned, “The blast I am told was supposed to go off at around 5 PM. Unfortunately, it blasted around 3:30 PM, so the people were not aware that it was blasting time.”

Nasir Ahmad Yartey, the Head of Public Relations at the Ministry, described the incident as “unfortunate” and stated that an investigation is underway to determine the full circumstances surrounding the tragedy.

He explained that the blasting was part of a project to construct a tunnel similar to one located near the Legon Police Station. Up to that point, the contractor had successfully performed 21 controlled blasts in collaboration with the National Disaster Management Organisation (NADMO) and local police.

In the wake of the incident, community tensions escalated as some local youths attacked the contractor's workers, injuring about 20 individuals and vandalizing the construction site.

Mr. Yartey urged the community to remain calm and to exercise restraint, saying, “We want to call upon the youth to exercise restraint; it is an accident, and it will be investigated to the letter.”

He also called for police assistance to ensure the safety of the workers involved in the ongoing project.

The Ministry of Roads and Highways is actively collaborating with law enforcement and other relevant agencies to gather further details about the incident and provide necessary support to those affected.

As investigations continue, Yartey emphasized the importance of verifying facts and casualties to prevent similar tragedies in the future.