The nine-member committee tasked to investigate the recent quarry explosion at Kobina-Andohkrom in the Shama District of the Western Region has recommended the cancellation of the mining lease of STA Adams Enterprise, the quarry operator.
It was also recommended that the company bear all bills, compensations, and any other expenses incurred by the victims of the explosion.
The quarry explosion that occurred on September 10 this year claimed five lives, with others sustaining various degrees of injury.
The committee further recommended that the licensing regime in the country be centralized to ensure district mining committees operate efficiently and effectively while ensuring regular audits and assessments of all quarry mining sites in the region.
Regulatory bodies were entreated to ensure compliance with laws and regulations.
The chairman of the committee and the Chief Director of the Western Regional Coordinating Council, WRCC, Frederick Agyemang, presented their findings to the Regional Minister, Kwabena Okyere Darko Mensah, attributed the cause of the explosion to improper storage of explosives as well as noncompliance with stated safety measures.
The Committee called for the sanctioning of the company to serve as a deterrent to others.
He says upon accessing the level of security, it was suggested that the Shama district assembly take over security at the site and ensure continuous security by providing the necessary logistics to personnel tasked with such duties, and the site be reversed to its owner.
