Some survivors of the dynamite explosion which wiped out the entire Appiatse community located near Bogoso in the Western Region are confronted with multifaceted health struggles, amidst rejection, dejection and despair.
More than four years after the 10-tonne dynamite being transported to a mining site at Bogoso exploded at the farming community, claiming 16 lives and injuring scores of others, the health condition of some of the victims continues to deteriorate with no reliable financial support for their medical bills.
At the same time, family members – mainly women and children, who lost their breadwinners to the disaster- are in a state of despair, with no glimmer of hope to restore their lost livelihoods.
The Daily Graphic’s checks have revealed that four years after the explosion, there is no form of compensation for the victims or sustainable livelihood restoration programme.
In the circumstance, many of the victims of the disaster are in oblivion, not knowing whether they will live to see the next day.
‘I want to walk’
One such person is 49-year-old Joseph Kobina Arhin Jnr, who was trapped in the disaster while on his journey from Wassa Akropong to Takoradi on January 20, 2022.
During a follow-up visit, the Daily Graphic observed that Mr Arhin Jnr, who was the Head of the Physical Planning Department at the Wassa Amenfi Municipal Assembly in the Western Region, still battles for his life after a series of surgeries and medical procedures at the Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital (KATH) in Kumasi and other health facilities.
Mr Arhin, in an interview, said after enduring a series of surgeries and medical procedures at KATH, Manganese Hospital at Tarkwa, and other health facilities, there was still no end in sight to his predicament.
The physical planner, whose movement was aided by a Deluxe walking frame, was still incurring huge medical bills monthly to survive.
“I want to walk again; I do not ask for more; I just need the intervention of anyone who can help me to walk,” he said, letting out a deep breath that adequately conveyed his frustration.
“The metal that was implanted in my leg now gives me a lot of discomfort. Sometimes my leg gets so swollen, leading to watery discharges. I have to go to the hospital almost every month to go through wound swab to help deal with it,” he explained.
Painful as that routine medical procedure is, Mr Arhin is also battling financial challenges to keep up with it, causing him to skip the sessions and leaving his life hanging in the balance.
“It costs me about GH¢2,000 to go through the process almost every month and also buy drugs; so, anytime I do not have money, I rely on painkillers, which also have their side effects,” he said.
Again, during the engagement with Mr Arhin, it came to light that a medical prescription had been given as far back as February 20, 2025, for him to purchase a knee-ankle-foot orthosis, a standard cosmesis, and orthopaedic boot, but he has not been able to buy it.
The Daily Graphic saw evidence of an invoice of GH¢5,700 issued by El-magen Prosthetics Orthotic Centre on February 20, 2025, for the purchase of the items. However, Mr Arhin has not been able to raise the money needed to purchase the walking aids.
Survivors’ ordeal
Also, Diana Essandoh, the widow of another victim, Emmanuel Quainoo, who lost his life, is battling with challenges that come with widowhood and the harsh realities of a single parent of three.
The then 29-year-old carpenter was swept away, with some of his internal organs gushing out when the truck carrying the mining explosives exploded in the heart of the Appiatse town.
“Things have not been easy for me at all. I was a petty trader, but I lost everything to the disaster and have not been able to raise money to restart it after the death of my husband. I am even lucky that the Methodist Church of Ghana is supporting me with the education of two of the children,” she said.
Similarly, the families of 15 other victims, including 15-months-old Ella Baidoo, live with psychological bruises and painful memories of their loved ones who died during the explosion.
Other injuries
Apart from the 16 deaths, figures from the Prestea-Huni Valley District Assembly showed that 498 people suffered various forms of injury during the explosion.
“Doctors have declared that some of the people who sustained injuries cannot see with both eyes, while others have developed hearing impairment because of the sound that came with the explosion,” the Assembly Member for the Beppo Electoral Area, which includes Appiatse, Thomas Yaw Enyam, said.
No compensation, support
The Appiatse Disaster Relief Committee (ADRC) was set up as the community-based body to address the welfare needs of the residents, including education, health care, and livelihood needs.
It operates using funds from the Appiatse Disaster Relief Fund (ADRF).
When the Daily Graphic contacted the Public Relations Officer (PRO) of the ADRC, Thywill Quarshie, in January, 2023, he explained that the committee did not have sufficient funds to meet the people's daily needs.
Mr Quarshie had also said the ADRC was overwhelmed by financial demands, especially from persons who were still battling for their lives in hospitals.
A member of the ADRC, Mary Appiah, also told the Daily Graphic on July 17, 2026, that although many people still needed medical attention, the committee’s work had halted due to circumstances beyond its control.
“The condition of some of the victims is such that they have to go to the hospital almost every month; but there is no money to do so,” she said.
When the Daily Graphic contacted the Municipal Chief Executive (MCE) for Prestea Huni-Valley, Dr Matthew Kofi Ayeh, to find out whether there was any form of support system for the survivors of the disaster and dependants of deceased persons, he said there was no compensation scheme.
“The previous government did not put together a compensation package for the victims.
We are now working in collaboration with the Ministry of Lands and Natural Resources to see what can be done about it,” he said.
