According to him, government will ensure it punishes anyone whose negligence may have led to the accident.

“Let’s wait for the outcome of the investigation but if like you say [regulatory failure] turns out that way people have to answer for their commissions and omissions.

“A big if, it’s that straightforward. Because all of us have our respective responsibilities and duties to perform and if at any stage it is found that any one of us hasn’t performed our duties correctly and it occasioned this kind of loss, I believe that the honorable thing to do is for us to pay the ramifications of our action and that I believe will not be difficult to insist on at all,” he said.

The disastrous accident at Apeatse involved a DAF vehicle with registration number WR 2252-18 transporting explosives from the Maxam Company, Tarkwa, to Chirano Gold Mines and a motorcycle.

The Police stated that the rider of the motorcycle from the opposite direction, rode under the vehicle at around 11:25 pmon Thursday.

According to the Police, due to the impact of the crash, the motorcycle caught fire and ignited the explosives on the DAF van. The DAF vehicle, thus burst into flames.

Consequently, 13 people are reported to have died with 57 severely injured while nearby buildings of about 500 houses were razed down.

Commenting on the situation, the Lands Minister assured that government is on course to provide relief to the victims of the explosion as well the displaced.

“The focus of government now are in two folds. The first is to provide some relief and I know that NADMO is been working overnight to be able to send some relief to the displaced people and also care for the injured,” he said.

He added that government is also working hand-in-hand with some security agencies and the Ministry of Lands and Natural Resources working through the MIneral Division “to assemble the initial facts so we get understand what caused this (explosion), under what circumstances did this accident occur.”

According to him, when the outcome is made known, broader inquiry will be formed to take it up.

Johnson told lawmakers that the restrictions were being eased because government scientists believed it was likely that the surge of infections prompted by the highly contagious Omicron variant “has now peaked nationally.”

While hospitals in northern England are still under pressure because of high caseloads, Johnson said hospital admissions and patients in intensive care units elsewhere in England were stabilizing or falling.

The government will no longer advise people to work from home and beginning next Thursday mandatory COVID-19 passes will not be required to gain entry to large-scale events.

Compulsory face masks will be scrapped in classrooms starting Thursday as well, and from next week they will not be legally required anywhere in England.

“We will trust the judgment of the British people and no longer criminalise anyone who chooses not to wear one,” Johnson said.

The restrictions were introduced in December to slow the rapid spread of Omicron variant and buy time for the population to get their booster vaccine shot.

Johnson said Wednesday that more than 90 per cent of those over 60 in the U.K. have now had their booster shot. Official figures showed that COVID-19 infections have dropped in most parts of the U.K. for the first time since early December, with 94,432 new positive cases recorded on Tuesday.

The requirement for those infected to self-isolate for five full days remains, but Johnson said that measure will also end in the coming weeks. He said while the self-isolation rule expires on March 24 he will seek to scrap it earlier if the virus data continues to improve.

“As COVID-19 becomes endemic, we will need to replace legal requirements with advice and guidance, urging people with the virus to be careful and considerate of others,” he said.

Britain has the second-worst pandemic death toll in Europe after Russia, with over 153,000 confirmed virus-related deaths.