A stone blasting incident
that occured at Gomoa Buduburam by the contractor working on the Kasoa to
Winneba highway has resulted in the death of three people with injuries to 39
others.
Those affected are said to
be commuters and residents in the area.
The three deceased
persons, one male and two females were struck on the head by debris from the
blast and they died on the spot.
Thirty-nine others who
sustained severe injuries have been sent to the hospital.
Four of them 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.
Four of them 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.
The incident happened Monday afternoon.
Eyewitnesses who were at the scene said that the debris from the blast flew to nearby homes and injured people as well.
An injured individual from the blast being taken away by the away for treatment at the hospital.
The incident happened at the Big Apple area of Gomoa Buduburam in the Gomoa East District of the Central Region at about 3:30 pm.
Some residents who were around at the time said that the blasting was done by the construction firm in charge of the dualization 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," said by the resident.
Safety Experts are asking for the contractor to face the full rigors of the law for their action.
Jonathan Antwi, an
Occupational Safety and Health Professional, has called for the contractor
behind the Buduburam explosion to be held accountable for the fatal incident
that claimed three lives and injured over 30 people.
The explosion, which
occurred on Monday, October 14, 2024, took place during a controlled rock blast
as part of the ongoing road expansion project on the Kasoa-Buduburam stretch.
Mr. Antwi expressed concerns over
the contractor’s apparent failure to follow key safety protocols, which could
have prevented the disaster.
“The contractor should be
held responsible,” he said.
He emphasized the
importance of adhering to the Mineral Commission’s LI 2177 Section 175, which
outlines mandatory procedures that must be followed before conducting any form
of blasting.
His remarks reflect
growing public outrage over the tragic event, with calls for accountability and
stringent enforcement of safety regulations in construction and blasting
operations.
“So if the blast has been
done and investigations commence and it establishes that none of this
information is found after the incident then they should be held responsible
for their actions and inactions that took place,” he stated.
Credit: 87solutions.blogspot.com
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