Buoho Residents in Panic as Giant Boulder Rolls into Homes

Residents of Buoho, in the Afigya-Kwabre South District of the Ashanti Region, were thrown into a state of panic after a massive boulder broke loose and rolled downhill toward their homes. The incident, which occurred over the weekend, came from an area close to local quarry sites.

The giant rock, described by eyewitnesses as “too huge for any human to move,” came crashing down from a nearby hill and stopped just a few meters from several houses, sparking fear and confusion among residents.

Many initially blamed nearby quarry operators for the incident, suspecting that blasting activities might have triggered the rock’s descent.

However, quarry officials, including Emmanuel Addai, Manager of Kas Products Limited, say the event was a natural geological phenomenon — an “avalanche” where loose rocks dislodge and fall without human intervention.

The area around Buoho has a history of dangerous quarry operations. Residents and traditional leaders have repeatedly warned that quarry companies are operating too close to homes, raising the risk of rockfalls and explosions.

Some residents say their homes have already suffered damage due to previous blasts — cracks, shattered windows, and structural stress are recurring complaints.

Quarry operators argue that many of the people living in the high-risk zones are “encroachers,” having built houses too close to legally restricted buffer zones.

Following the incident, operators from several quarry companies — including ADU 2 Quarry, Modern Granite, and ESM Quarry — have called on local authorities, the National Disaster Management Organization (NADMO), and the District Assembly to take urgent steps to relocate residents from the most dangerous areas.

Community leaders and industry players say this near-tragedy should serve as a wake-up call: enforcing quarry-safety buffer zones is no longer a choice but a necessity. It raises serious questions about enforcement and regulation of quarry operations, especially around “buffer zones” meant to provide safety margins between extractive sites and residential areas.