The mining town of Apiate, Ghana, has been reduced to rubble after a mining truck carrying explosives reportedly detonated.
According to Reuters, the blast on 21 January left a crater 66 feet in width and took with it hundreds of surrounding houses. It also blew the doors and roofs from other buildings.
The truck, owned by Maxam, was reportedly working with Kinross Gold’s Chirano gold operation.
The most recent estimation of injuries is 180, per the news service. No cause has yet been identified, though regional news outlets have eyes on a roadside power transformer and a truck-motorcycle crash immediately before the explosion as possible precursors.
Chirano is an open-pit and underground operation with a mien life through 2025. The government of Ghana owns 10% interest in the asset, which produced about 166,000 ounces of gold equivalent in 2020.
Apiate is about 30 miles west of the capital city of Accra.
Neither Kinross nor Maxam have made public statements about the incident.
Source: Reuters