The quarry that erupted near Kobenandohkrom in the Western Shama District on Sunday was reportedly operating illegally, according to the Minerals Commission.
The company was allegedly working at night to avoid being discovered by the Commission's inspectors and the local task team made up of police and representatives from the sand winners and quarry association, according to the Commission's mine inspectors.
During a routine site inspection, inspectors from the commission's Takoradi Office discovered that the enterprise was doing site cleaning and preparation work as well as equipment runs without the commission's permission.
The site of the explosion is a topic of an application by a business going by the name of STA Addsams Enterprise, the commission stated in a statement based on its first investigations.
Four people were killed and numerous more were injured in an explosion at the STA Addsam quarry mine, formerly known as Omini Quarry, in the Shama District of the Western Region.
Many night workers, including the managing director (MD) of the company, who is thought to be Chinese and Ghanaian, were burned beyond recognition.
Those who survived were taken urgently to Sekondi and the district's numerous hospitals.
The explosion caused substantial damage to countless structures and jeopardised the structural stability of many buildings, including a fuel station and the lone health post in the vicinity.
Following an explosion that destroyed Appeatse in January of last year, Sunday's disaster is the second to affect the Western Region in less than two years.
According to reports, the explosion happened yesterday at around half past midnight from an unauthorised explosives storage facility.
In accordance with the law controlling the purchase, storage, and use of explosives, checks by the Daily Graphic from numerous sources indicated that the explosives were being housed in a facility next to the workers' homes without an authorization from authorities.
Suspicion
The sources believed that one of the four Chinese people who were missing was one of the MD's.
According to the sources, the MD ordered the MD's driver to sleep in the car when he arrived at the location last Saturday, but the driver chose to walk home and sleep there instead, returning to work the next morning.
They claimed that when the driver arrived back at the scene yesterday morning, he was shocked to learn that the MD's vehicle had been among those damaged by the explosion.
The insider claimed that "the MD's car is among the properties destroyed in the blast" and that "the only way you can tell if the MD is around is when you see his car."
It was informed that prior to the construction of a residential facility at the mines where they all sleep, the Chinese nationals were sleeping in an apartment outside the quarry.
When questioned about whether the mine had the legal authority to keep explosives, the source responded, "When it comes to explosives, officials of the Minerals Commission come and make sure that we use what we can, and if we are not able to use all they take it away."
According to the source, because the quarry lacks an authorization to keep such explosives, it's possible that it bought the explosives on the open market while regulators were distracted.
Minerals Commission
When contacted, Martin Ayisi, the chief executive officer of the Minerals Commission, stated that the site was being investigated by the commission's mine inspectors.
He called the occurrence regrettable and noted that his team was investigating what went wrong around-the-clock.
He said that it would only be known if the storage was legal once the inspectors had finished their inquiry.
According to Ebenezer Dadzie, the District Chief Executive for Shama, efforts were being made to locate the missing and determine the extent of the damage.
He called the situation regrettable and stated that the District Security Council, which he leads, was unable to immediately provide information on the number of people that were hurt and killed.
He said that the district's National Disaster Management Organisation (NADMO) and the assembly were in the area to examine the damaged property in more detail and provide the affected residents with appropriate advice.
The Daily Graphic's investigation revealed that the corporation was unlawfully storing the explosives as well.
According to a person connected to the business, the explosives were stored in a room that wasn't a structured storage explosive magazine when the incident happened.
The source claimed that because the explosives were not handled properly, they were charged and exploded, destroying the quarry and wreaking havoc on the adjacent communities.
Rescue Team
Nine persons suffered critical injuries, according to Senior Fire Service Officer Emmanuel Bonney, who oversaw the rescue effort. He said they were being treated at the hospital.
He claimed that according to the information made available to them, four further Chinese labourers who lived on the property were missing.
Ammonium nitrate and fuel were being stored, according to Mr. Bonney's preliminary findings, but they were not properly managed, which resulted in the explosion.
EPA
George Diawuoh, regional director of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), added that his organisation and other sister organisations were currently researching
MINERALS COMMISSION
PRESS STATEMENT
RE: EXPLOSION AT A QUARRY SITE IN ASSORKO IN THE SHAMA DISTRICT OF THE WESTERN REGION
The Western Regional Head of the Minerals Commission at Takoradi (the “Commission”) was notified by the Assemblyman of the Anto-Abosso area in the Shama District at about 11.50pm on 9th September 2023, regarding an explosion at a quarry site.
A team of Mine Inspectors from the Takoradi Office of the Commission arrived at the site of the explosion at about 6.45 am on 10th September 2023. The area of the explosion is about 1.5 km away from the nearest settlement, Kobenandohkrom.
The inspectors were joined by officials from other State institutions comprising NADMO, Environmental Protection Agency, The Ghana Fire Service, Ambulance Service, the Ghana Police Service and officials from the Shama District Assembly to inspect the site.
The Commission, after the preliminary investigations can confirm that the site of the explosion is a subject of an application by a company with the name Sta Addsams Enterprise. The company has applied for a Restricted Mining Lease for granite commonly referred to as a quarry. The recommendation for the company to be considered for the grant of a formal lease was granted on 20th March 2023. At the time of the explosion, the company has not not issued a lease by the Minister of Lands and Natural Resources.
Secondly, the site of the explosion is the residential facilities for the company. This included buildings and containerized structures. The inspectors also found at the site, empty drums believed to have contained diesel, other lubricants, cigarette pieces, oxy-acetylene cylinders were found at the scene.
Additionally, all the facilities including light vehicles and equipment close to the residential structures on site were destroyed and five (5) persons are confirmed dead and some injured persons were sent to various hospitals within Sekondi-Takoradi for treatment.
The administrator of the enterprise informed the inspectors that the company was working at night ostensibly to prevent them from being noticed by the inspectors of the Commission and the local task force comprising the police and members of the sand winners and quarry Association.
A routine monitoring visit by the inspectors from the Takoradi Office to the site revealed that the enterprise was engaged in site cleaning and preparatory works and had conducted run of the machines and equipment on site without the approval of the Commission.
The enterprise was therefore notified by the inspectors that such activities are illegal and was directed to cease any activity on the site until the lease is granted and all other permits and approvals for the storage, transportation and use of any substance to undertake operations are obtained.
In this regard, pending the completion of a full investigation into the cause of the explosion, the enterprise had no lease, approval or permit to undertake any activity or operation at the site.
Consequently, the activity of the enterprise was illegal. The Commission wishes to remind the media and the public that the Inspectorate Division is committed to ensuring that all quarry sites are licensed and all the requisite approvals and permits are obtained before operations are undertaken.
SIGNED
MANAGER
CORPORATE AFFAIRS
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