The Bureau of Public Safety has called for criminal proceedings against individuals whose actions and negligence contributed to the explosion that occurred in Anto-Aboso, situated in the Shama District of the Western Region.

The tragic incident which occurred on Sunday, September 10 resulted in the unfortunate loss of four lives, with numerous others sustaining varying degrees of injuries.

In an interview with Citi News, the executive director of the Bureau of Public Safety, Nana Yaw Akwada, emphasized the necessity of holding those responsible for the unfortunate incident accountable through legal means.

“Looking at the extent of destruction and the fact that lives have been lost, we should be looking beyond administrative sanctions of persons whose act of commission or omission may have led to this incident in less than two years after Appiate.

“Criminal prosecutions must be pressed against such persons at all costs and people must come to the realisation that willful negligence or inaction that leads to fatal workplace incidents is criminal and must be sanctioned as such.”

Nana Yaw Akwada further called for an impartial evaluation of safety measures at all mining sites nationwide to ensure enhanced safety standards are in place.

“I will also recommend an immediate independent reassessment to be conducted across all mining sites nationwide with respect to the manufacturing, transportation, storage, and use of explosive materials and I believe that if we take this step, we can certainly make some good strides in today’s occurrences within the mining sector.”