At Least 17 Dead after Mining Truck Explodes in Ghana (Video)

At least 17 people were killed and 59 injured Thursday as a devastating explosion occurred in a western Ghana town.

The government said a truck carrying explosives collided with a motorcycle, causing the massive explosion.

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The blast left a huge crater and destroyed dozens of buildings in Apiate, near the city of Bogoso some 300 kilometres (180 miles) west of the mineral-rich West African country's capital Accra.

Footage on social media showed citizens rushing towards a raging fire and rising plumes of black smoke to inspect the damage.

Rescue workers managed to get through the rubble for survivors caught in the devastation.

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"A total of 17 people have unfortunately been confirmed dead, and 59 injured people have been rescued," Ghanaian Information Minister Kojo Oppong Nkrumah said in a statement released overnight.

Also, Nkrumah said initial signs point to "an accident involving a truck transporting explosive materials for a mining company, a motorcycle and a third vehicle" which took place near an electrical transformer.

The minister added that out of 59 people injured, 42 are receiving treatment in hospitals or health centres and "some are in critical condition".

Ghanaian President Nana Akufo-Addo called it a "truly sad, unfortunate and tragic incident".

Meantime, a team of police and army explosion experts are deployed to "avoid a second explosion", according to the government's statement in a press release.