Police probe explosion at Aboso that claimed 3 lives, left others injured

Western Central Regional Police Command visited victims of the Aboso explosion on Tuesday, August 4, 2026, at the Tarkwa Municipal Hospital and Apinto Government Hospital as investigations continue into the incident that claimed three lives and injured several others. The explosion occurred at Aboso Breman Junction in the Nzemafokrom Electoral Area of the Prestea Huni Valley Municipality in the Western Region.

At the Tarkwa Municipal Hospital, six casualties were recorded, with three confirmed dead, two receiving treatment in the Emergency Ward, and one victim having undergone surgery. Two other victims are receiving medical care at the Apinto Government Hospital and are in stable condition. A police delegation led by COP Desmond Owusu Boampong visited the facilities. Preliminary investigations indicate the explosion may have been triggered after a gunshot struck explosive materials believed to have been illegally stored. Workers at the tailings site spotted a python and informed the owner, David Kofi Fletcher, who is among those who died. Police said Mr. Fletcher reportedly arrived with a pump-action shotgun to kill the reptile, and it is suspected that after firing, the pellets hit the explosives, causing the blast. A mining expert, Frank Denkyi Adjei, provided a technical assessment.