Heavy downpour displaces over 50 people at Appiatse relief camp

Over an hour of heavy rainfall on Friday, April 8, has displaced about 50 people at the Appiatse relief camp at Dumase New site.  The trauma and displeasure of staying within tents have become worse for the troubled people of Appiatse in the Western region of Ghana. The relief camp is a stopgap residence for the people of Appiatse following a devastating explosion in January.

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The government through the ministry of land and natural resources and the ministry of works and housing have promised to rebuild Appiatse community within a short period of time.  A total of 124 houses are going to be constructed and these are made up of 41 one-bedroom, 35 two-bedroom, 25 three-bedroom, 15 four-bedroom, eight five-bedroom, one six-bedroom house, and one seven-bedroom unit. However, the state of the reconstruction process remains unknown.

Background

A DAF truck, with registration number WR 2252-18, said to be driven by Mr Alfred Pappoe, en route to Chirano Gold Mines in the Western North Region, exploded last Thursday.

The explosion occurred at Appiatse, which is between Bogoso and Bawdie, after a motorcycle rider from the opposite direction ran under the van carrying the explosives.

According to police situational report, the motorcycle in the process caught fire, ignited the truck, which denoted the explosives estimated at about 10 tonnes, resulting in the blast.

The driver of the truck sustained a deep cut on the head and was rushed to the Tarkwa Government Hospital, while the police escort managed to escape the disaster.

The thunderous explosion caused extensive damage after levelling residential buildings. Most of the survivors were those who were far from the scene, on farms and on other errands.

The police added that vehicles plying the road were damaged, while many passengers and inhabitants sustained varying degrees of injury.