Surviving victims of the Apiate dynamite explosion will no longer receive foodstuffs and some relief items that were being distributed to them on a monthly basis for some time as the Appiatse disaster relief committee is in need of items.

On Thursday, January 20, 2022, a dynamite explosion occurred at Appiatse in the Prestea Huni Valley Municipality in the Western Region of Ghana.

The explosion caused by Maxam Company Limited took away 16 lives, while 450 recovered from severe injuries; about 46 were in various stages of recovery; 23 were still receiving treatment; 2 were bedridden; and one (1) person is currently at Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital (KATH) for surgery to remove metal particles from her leg.

After the explosion, the Government, NGOs, Corporate entities, individuals and other stakeholders, donated foodstuffs, Water, Drinks, Clothes and cash to be shared among the victims.
These items were distributed to the victims, Monthly from the beginning and later occasionally.

After 15 months following the disaster, the media is learning that the distribution of foodstuffs given to the victims to get them going as they find ways to return to their usual routine will cease for some time.

PRO of the Apiate Disaster Relief Committee, Mr. Thywill Quarshie, said: “There will be no sharing of food to the victims as it used to be because their warehouse is empty after fifteen (15) months of the explosion”.

After the explosion, Government’s effort to reconstruct the community has yielded some results where 124 housing units forming part of the first phase of the project is nearing completion.

Despite having no legal responsibility to compensate Appiatse accident victims, the government is committed to assisting the victims through the Appiatse support fund.

The Chairperson of the Appiatse Reconstruction Implementation Committee, Mr Benito Owusu-Bio, said the measure is being undertaken without prejudice to the right of any person to seek any lawful remedy including the payment of compensation.

The Apiate Disaster Relief Committee is however appealing to the general public, NGOs, and Corporate bodies to extend a helping hand to victims to help them resume their normal livelihood.

Source: Sompaonline.com/Nana Yaw Boamah