By Amoako Kwame
Four people have been killed and several others injured following a dynamite explosion at Aboso in the Prestea Huni Valley Municipality of the Western Region.
The incident reportedly occurred at Breman after an attempt to kill a snake triggered an explosion involving explosives that had allegedly been stored near a filling station.
According to an eyewitness, residents were startled by a loud blast, which many initially mistook for an earthquake.
“We heard a loud sound, which many of us thought was an earthquake. We later found out that a man who is known to be dealing in explosives had hidden some of the explosives around a filling station at Breman,” the eyewitness recounted on Tuesday, August 4.
The eyewitness said some workers associated with the man were working in the area when they spotted a snake and attempted to kill it with a firearm.
The eyewitness said the gunshot missed the snake and struck the explosives, triggering a powerful explosion that killed several people and injured others.
“He fired the gun at the snake, but the bullet hit the explosives, causing a massive explosion that killed some of the people nearby,” the eyewitness said.
The blast caused widespread panic in the community as emergency personnel rushed to the scene to assist victims and bring the situation under control.
Authorities are expected to launch investigations into the circumstances surrounding the incident and determine whether the explosives were being stored illegally.
The assembly member for the Akutuase Electoral Area, Emmanuel Eshun, told local media that three victims died instantly, while a fourth person died while being transported to a health facility. One of the deceased was identified as Kofi Fletcher, who was said to be the owner of the shop where the explosives were allegedly kept.
The incident has renewed concerns about the illegal possession, storage and transportation of explosives in mining communities across the Western Region, especially after the deadly Apiate explosion in 2022 and the Anto-Aboso quarry explosion in 2023.
