Accident at Nkawkaw Abepotia claims 5 lives
Five persons died in an accident at Abepotia, near Nkawkaw on the Accra-Kumasi Highway last Saturday.
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Ten other passengers, including a pregnant woman, are in very critical condition, while 40 others who sustained injuries are also on admission.
Three of the deceased are said to have died on the spot, while the other two died at the Holy Family Hospital at Nkawkaw where all the victims were rushed to for medical attention.
Fifty-eight passengers, comprising 39 women, 12 children and seven men, are said to have been on board a Neoplan bus, with registration number GR 400 M, when the accident occurred about 5:30 a.m. last Saturday.
Veered off
The Station Officer of the Nkawkaw branch of the Motor Traffic and Transport Department (MTTD), Chief Inspector Joseph Amakye, told the Daily Graphic that the driver of the Neoplan bus allegedly veered off his lane and ran into a DAF fuel tanker, with registration number GM 4150 - 14, on the shoulders of the road.
He said the victims, who were all Muslims, were travelling from Accra to the northern part of the country to prepare for this year's Ramadan.
The Medical Director of the Holy Family Hospital, Dr Bernard Nii Torgbor, disclosed that his outfit's quick response to a distress call about the accident around 6 a.m. was able to stabilise the conditions of most of the victims.
He said nine of the victims who were in critical condition had been referred to the Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital in Kumasi.
He said the pregnant woman, who had fallen unconscious, was also referred to the same hospital.
Minister visits
On hearing of the accident, the Eastern Regional Minister, Ms Mavis Ama Frimpong, visited the Holy Family Hospital to commiserate with the victims.
She commended the members of staff of the hospital and the National Ambulance Service for their quick response to the accident and helping to stabilise the victims’ condition.
She used the occasion to advise drivers to avoid speeding, drink-driving and speaking on phone while driving, stressing that they should abide by the rules and regulations governing driving.