ST GEORGE’S, Grenada , Jul 3, CMC – Prime Minister Dickon Mitchell says that preliminary reports have indicated that the explosion which occurred in an abandoned quarry located in a rural community in the eastern parish of St Andrew earlier this week, destroying an industrial property and several residential properties was caused by the failure of those involved to not employ best practice.
“Without giving details, I will say that the reports indicate that the process chosen to destroy the ordnances were not prudent and not in keeping with best practice,” said Mitchell who was speaking during a town hall meeting late Wednesday.
The Prime Minister explained that the explosives were the property of the Gravel Concrete & Emulsion Production Corporation and they were stored at the Special Services Unit headquarters in Point Salines. The Explosive Act mandates that all explosives be stored by the Police.
Mitchell, who is also the Minister for National Security, said the explosives were stored at the SSU camp in Point Salines for some time. “It was obvious that the ordnances because of the long period of storage and the conditions in which they were stored needed to be destroyed because they were becoming unstable and unstable ordnances are prone to explode,” he told the town hall.
“So, the Commissioner of Police and his team would have granted permission to the Gravel and Concrete team to destroy the ordnances, the decision to destroy was in fact a sound one base on the need to ensure that there was no unintended explosion at Point Salines,” he said while disclosing that the site chosen was the Telescope quarry and an employee of the Corporation was put in charge of the process of destroying the explosives.
The Prime Minister because the rules and regulations were ignored, the explosion occurred.
“The net result is that you had a massive unintended explosion that caused significant damage to the Gravel and Concrete building itself, that damaged the police vehicle that was present on the scene because that vehicle had been used to escort the ordinances…and persons who were onsite and within the hearing range of the blast,” he said.
The blast was not only heard in the immediate environment but also in the northern and western parishes of St John’s and St Mark’s. Assessors from the Corporation as well as the National Disaster Management Agency and the constituency office for the Member of Parliament are currently evaluating the damages which includes destruction to homes and personal belongings including food and home appliances.
On its facebook page the Corporation said it was deeply saddened and concerned by the recent explosion that occurred in Telescope. “Our thoughts and heartfelt sympathies are with all those affected — the families, residents, and everyone who calls this community home,” said the statement which was posted hours after the blast.
“At Gravel and Concrete, your safety and well-being are our highest priorities. In the wake of this tragic event, we want to assure you that we are working closely with local authorities and emergency services to assess the damage and ensure the area is secure,” said the statement.
“Our teams are on the ground, doing everything possible to restore stability and support the community. Whether it’s reinforcing damaged areas, clearing debris, or offering assistance to those displaced, we are committed to helping to return to a state of normalcy as swiftly and safely as possible,” the statement said.
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