The Western Central Regional Police Command has visited victims of the Aboso explosion who are currently receiving medical care at the Tarkwa Municipal Hospital and Apinto Government Hospital as investigations into the incident continue.

The explosion, which occurred on Tuesday, August 4, 2026, at Aboso Breman Junction in the Nzemafokrom Electoral Area of the Prestea Huni Valley Municipality in the Western Region, resulted in three deaths and left several others injured.

At the Tarkwa Municipal Hospital, six victims from the incident were admitted. Three were pronounced dead, two remain on admission at the Emergency Ward, while another victim has undergone surgery and is receiving further treatment.

Two additional casualties are being treated at the Apinto Government Hospital, where medical authorities have described their condition as stable.

A police team led by the Commander of the Western Central Regional Police Command, COP Desmond Owusu Boampong, visited both facilities to check on the injured and provide support.

Preliminary findings by the Police suggest that the blast may have occurred after a gunshot came into contact with explosive materials that were allegedly being stored illegally at the location.

According to investigators, workers at the tailings site noticed a python and informed the facility owner, David Kofi Fletcher, who was among those killed in the explosion.

The Police said Mr Fletcher reportedly went to the area with a pump-action shotgun in an attempt to kill the snake. Investigators suspect that after the firearm was discharged, pellets hit the stored explosives, triggering the explosion.

Mining expert Frank Denkyi Adjei, who conducted a technical assessment for the Police Command, said the evidence gathered so far suggests the explosives were kept on the surface and were likely activated by a gunshot.

He explained that the intensity of the blast indicates that a firearm may have been directed towards the explosives, resulting in the explosion.

The incident caused significant damage to properties around the area, with several homes recording broken windows. Vehicles parked at a nearby car washing facility also suffered damage, including shattered windscreens and windows on six vehicles.

In a statement, the Western Central Regional Police Command extended its condolences to the families of those who lost their lives and confirmed that the bodies had been deposited at the morgue.

The Police said the Minerals Commission has been informed and is working with them as investigations proceed to determine the exact circumstances that led to the explosion.

The Command warned that the illegal possession, storage, transportation, handling or sale of explosives is a serious criminal offence that poses a threat to public safety.

It urged members of the public to provide information to the Police about any suspected cases involving the unlawful storage or use of explosives.