20 Die in separate accidents in Northern Region (UPDATED)
A total of twenty people died from two separate accidents in the Northern Region over the weekend.
In the first accident which occurred at Savelugu on the Tamale-Bolgatanga highway, two people died on the spot on Saturday morning.
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The second accident which occurred at Yapei-Yipala on the Tamale-Buipe highway claimed 16 lives on the spot early Sunday morning. The drivers of the two accident vehicles were among those who died on the spot.
Two more passengers later died at the Tamale Teaching Hospital where they were receiving treatment on Sunday.
About 70 others got injured in the two separate accidents.
Yapei-Yipala
The Yapei-Yipala accident involved a Neoplan bus with registration number GW 2669 T, which carried 70 passengers. It was travelling from Nalerigu in the East Mamprusi Municipality in the Northern Region to Ejura in the Ashanti region.
The Northern Regional Police Public Relations Officer (PRO) Assistant Superintendent of Police (ASP), Mr. Mohammed Yusif Tanko said the Neoplan bus on reaching a bend in the section of the road attempted to overtake a cargo truck ahead of it and in the process crashed head-on with an oncoming bus with registration number GM 5383-12, killing the 16 on the spot and injuring many others who were rushed to the Tamale Teaching Hospital (TTH) for treatment.
The bodies of the deceased have since been deposited at the mortuary of the same hospital.
Savalugu
ASP Tanko also said the Savelugu accident on Saturday morning involved a tricycle [motor king] loaded with firewood from Diara and a cargo truck which was also loaded with lumber from Savelugu.
He said preliminary investigations have revealed that the rope tying the firewood got torn and the rider lost his balance and rode into the lane of the oncoming cargo truck.
He said one of the accident victims was totally dismembered and could not be picked to the morgue, thus, a medical officer performed the autopsy on the spot.
The other victim also on the tricycle was pronounced dead on arrival at the Tamale Teaching hospital.