Documents prove Ministry of Works failed to comply with safety protocols in Santa Elena explosion

Published by BBN Staff at December 22, 2017

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Posted: Friday, December 22, 2017. 11:57 am CST.

BBN Staff: On Tuesday, December 12, 2017, residents of Santa Cruz in Santa Elena Town experienced a destructive explosion in their neighborhood.

A quarry in Santa Cruz was being blasted with dynamites for materials to be used in road works.

The destructive explosion claimed the life of explosives expert, Ronald Sutherland and destroyed several homes, injured some residents, and caused severe damages to homes within the vicinity.

But who gave permission to blast with dynamites?

Several documents have surfaced from the Department of the Environment demonstrating that the Ministry of Works supervised the quarry.

The blasting was done to supply material for the paving of a road in Santa Elena Town for a contract that was awarded to Belize Roadway Construction by the Ministry of Works.

The Ministry was required to submit an environmental compliance plan and a perusal of the documents show that the Ministry was in violation of many of the prerequisites.

The document cites that proper licenses and permits must be obtained to operate quarries and no permit was obtained to blast the dynamites in Santa Cruz.

It also cites that quarry sites must not be in the proximity of “human settlements.” The quarry in Santa Cruz is located in a residential area in Santa Elena Town.

Many safety regulations were clearly ignored by the Ministry of Works, and nonetheless still approved, thereby violating the environmental compliance plan.

The Ministry of Works therefore failed to comply with the safety regulations that caused the destructive explosion that affected and traumatized many residents in Santa Cruz.

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