The Deputy Minister for Lands and Natural Resources, Benito Owusu-Bio, today led a delegation from the Ministry to commiserate with the Chiefs and people of Appiatse as they buried 7 out of the 13 victims who died from the explosion that occurred in the town.

The seven victims laid in state during the burial ceremony were, Ekua Nyame, 80, Isaac Benyin, 45, Isaac Anane 35, Emmanuel Quainoo, 29, Justice Kwesi Takwa 21, Michael Afriyie 19, and a fifteen months old baby, Ella Baidoo.

Speaking on behalf of President Akufo-Addo at the burial ceremony, Benito Owusu-Bio, who is also Chairman of the Appiatse Reconstruction Team, extended the government's condolences to the bereaved families.

"We are here on behalf of the President of the Republic, Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, the Vice President, Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia and my Sector Minister, who are on an equally important official duty in Dubai, to sympathize with you in this hard time. They send their heartfelt condolences to the Chiefs, people and all the bereaved families. We know this is hard but do take heart".

"This is sad and we hope and pray this doesn't reoccur but as we cry and mourn the dead, we also have to keep in mind that there are others alive who need to be sheltered as soon as possible and we are committed to do this within the shortest possible time," he said.

Mr. Benito Owusu-Bio who attended the burial ceremony in the company of some members of the Reconstruction Committee and a representative from the Ministry of Roads and Highways, Mr. Samuel Akuaku, announced that within a period of 12 months, the new Appiatse commmunity promised by government, will be reconstructed into a green, sustainable and model community.

The Deputy Minister on behalf of the Ministry and its agencies donated an amount of GH₵30,000 to support the Burial and funeral rites as well as the bereaved families.

According to the disaster relief committee, four of the other six victims out of the total 13, were laid to rest last weekend while the remaining two, namely; Emmanuel Awingura, 24, and Eric Gyimah, 24, will be given a private burial by their families in their respective birth homes in the coming days.

Representatives from the bereaved families were given the opportunity to read out tributes in turns and pay their last respects to the deceased.

The Chief of Appiatse, Nana Atta Kwadwo Bremebi expressed his profound gratitude to the President of the Republic, the Lands and Natural Resources Minister, Samuel Abu Jinapor, the Ministry and all other stakeholders for efforts towards the rebuilding of Appiatse and for sympathizing with them.

He also urged his people to support the project and remain patient as government zooms into the third phase of the project.

The mass burial ceremony which took place at the explosion site in Appiatse, a suburb of Bogoso in the Western Region, also had in attendance, the Board Chairperson of the Minerals Commission, Hon. Barbara Oteng-Gyasi, Municipal Chief Executive for Prestea Huni-Valley, Dr. Isaac Dasmani, MP for Prestea Huni-Valley Constituency, Robert Wisdom Cudjoe and other mourners from home and abroad.