17 Killed, 59 Injured in Western Ghana Explosion

️ People inspect the damage after a truck carrying explosives collided with a motorcycle in western Ghana, causing an immense conflagration and killing multiple people. The accident happened in Apiate, near the city of Bogoso, some 300 kilometers west of the mineral-rich West African country's capital Accra.

At least 17 people were killed and 59 injured Thursday in a devastating explosion in a western Ghana town after a truck carrying explosives intended for a mine collided with a motorcycle, the government said.

The blast left a huge crater and reduced dozens of buildings to dust-covered piles of wood and metal in Apiate, near the city of Bogoso, some 300 kilometers west of the mineral-rich West African country's capital Accra.

Footage verified by AFP showed locals rushing toward a raging fire and rising plumes of black smoke to inspect the damage, while rescue workers waded through the rubble to find survivors caught in the devastation and retrieve lifeless bodies.

"A total of 17 people have unfortunately been confirmed dead, and 59 injured people have been rescued," Information Minister Kojo Oppong Nkrumah said in a statement released overnight.

The minister said initial signs point to "an accident involving a truck transporting explosive materials for a mining company, a motorcycle and a third vehicle," which took place near an electrical transformer.

Out of 59 people injured, 42 are receiving treatment in hospitals or health centers and "some are in critical condition,” Nkrumah added.

Ghanaian President Nana Akufo-Addo called it a "truly sad, unfortunate and tragic incident" and expressed "deep condolences to the families of the deceased.”

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