Government has initiated a full-scale investigation into the deadly explosion at Hamile in the Upper West Region to unravel the exact circumstances surrounding the tragic incident.
The Minister for the Interior, Mohammed Muntaka Mubarak, who disclosed this while briefing Parliament on Tuesday, November 3, indicated that the outcome of the probe will guide the government on its subsequent measures.
“I wish to assure this House that the incident is currently under investigation to establish the circumstances surrounding the explosion. At this stage, it will be premature to draw conclusions about its cause or the events that led to it. The Ghana Immigration Service will communicate further developments as more verified information becomes available,” he stated.
The minister’s address to the House follows a fatal border patrol operation where an explosion claimed three lives. Preliminary details emerging from the scene indicate that Ghana Immigration Service officers were pursuing three suspected smugglers allegedly heading towards neighboring Burkina Faso with contraband goods.
The suspects, comprising an elderly man on a motorbike leading the trail and two teenagers on a motor tricycle behind him, were intercepted by the border patrol team. A blast was subsequently triggered during the chase when gunfire allegedly hit materials suspected to be explosives loaded on the tricycle.
The violent blast killed the two teenagers and an immigration officer on the spot. A second immigration officer and the elderly suspect both sustained severe injuries.
Following the incident, government swiftly deployed the Ghana Air Force with a specialized medical crew to airlift the critically injured officer from the Nandom Hospital, where he was receiving emergency treatment, to the 37 Military Hospital in Accra for advanced care.
Hon. Muntaka has since visited the injured officer at the 37 Military Hospital to assess his condition and offer support.
By: Rainbowradioonline.com/Ghana
