Mariama, a young Ghanaian lady, is said to have died as a result of injuries sustained in an explosion at the Afrochella Music Festival in December, 2022.

According to sources, Mariama had been hired by a vendor to work on the day of the festival, however, she was met with her untimely death after sustaining injuries from leaked gas explosion on the festival grounds.

Sources indicate that the vendor Mariama was rushed to the hospital where she was admitted, and the vendor she was working for at the event showed up only once to see her at the hospital and left the family with GH1,800 despite the fact that they had already spent tens of thousands of Ghanaian cedis on her hospitalization and treatment.

The family is said to have spent nearly GH40,000 on Mariama’s hospitalization up until she died, with no assistance from the concert organizers who hired her.

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The bereaved family has accused the event’s organizers of abandoning their loved one to die after suffering burns in the accident last December.

The organizers of Afrochella has since released a statement to confirm the death of Mariama and the circumstances which led to her death.

According to the statement dated, January 13, 2023, the organizers have met with Mariama’s family and are cooperating with the Police on the investigation of the matter.

“Since the incident, we’ve met with the family to express our sincere condolences and extend our support. During this time, we will continue to liaise with the Cantonments Police Station. As details continue to unfold, we mourn with family and friends and pray for all of those who have been affected by this unimaginable loss,” part of the statement read.

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Read full statement below; 

We are deeply saddened to hear about the untimely passing of a young person who was employed by a vendor on Monday, January 9th due to injuries she sustained from a fire accident that occurred in the Vendor Village at our Festival. The safety and security of all who attend remains our top priority and we are heartbroken to know that this unfortunate event transpired.

As one of the many safety precautions that we take to ensure the wellbeing of our employees, partners, vendors, and guests, we provide onsite safety and fire services during all of our events. Every year, Ghana National Fire Service inspects the Festival grounds, including inspecting all vendors that operate on the field. Despite these safety efforts, an incident occurred, resulting in an accident that injured a total of three people who were managing the booth all of whom were rushed to the hospital for immediate medical attention by our on-site ambulance services. The authorities are conducting an investigation.

We believe that our vendor showcase, a particularly special partnership, gives festival goers the chance to support locally owned businesses and get a real taste of Ghana – this is part of the magic of our experience.

Since the incident, we’ve met with the family to express our sincere condolences and extend our support. During this time, we will continue to liaise with the Cantonments Police Station. As details continue to unfold, we mourn with family and friends and pray for all of those who have been affected by this unimaginable loss.