Aircraft crash at Tema: TMA Daycare Centre closes temporarily as probe begins
The TMA Daycare Centre in Tema has closed temporarily following the light aircraft crash on the premises of the school in Tema last Monday.
At the time the incident happened, teachers and some parents were picking up their children, while other pupils were waiting for their parents or guardians.
The Headmistress of the school, Florence Agbetorwosor, told the Daily Graphic that the incident had left both facilitators and learners traumatised following the fatal aircraft crash on the school’s premises.
As a result, school authorities have announced a temporary closure of the facility.
“The children are traumatised, and the teachers are also affected. We will not reopen immediately.
We are waiting for directives from the authorities,” she said.
She explained that panic gripped the school as the aircraft went down, prompting teachers and parents to quickly evacuate the children to safety.
“The teachers and parents rushed the children into another classroom immediately after the crash.
They were all scared, but thankfully, none of the children was injured,” she added.
Ms Agbetorwosor said that despite the safe evacuation, the emotional toll on both staff and pupils had been significant, with many of the children still shaken.
Incident
Two people were confirmed dead following the aircraft crash at the TMA Daycare Centre at Community One, Site 17, in Tema late Monday afternoon.
The light aircraft, with registration number 9G-ADV, crashed on the school premises before bursting into flames.
The two occupants of the aircraft were partially burnt in the incident.
None of the pupils or staff of the school was injured.
Preliminary information suggested the aircraft may have lost control while attempting to land near the Oninku School Park.
Response
Officials from the security and emergency services, including the Ghana Police Service, the Ghana Armed Forces, the Ghana National Fire Service and the
National Disaster Management Organisation, quickly moved to the scene to contain the fire and secure the area.
The crash site has since been cordoned off to allow investigators to begin their work.
Investigation
While officials were yet to confirm the exact cause of the crash, the Aircraft Accident and Incident Investigation Bureau has begun preliminary assessments to determine the cause of last Monday’s aircraft crash.
Officials of the bureau were expected to return to the crash scene yesterday to begin removing the wreckage as part of the investigation process, the Commissioner of the bureau, John M. K. Wumborti, who visited the crash scene with a team of investigators last Monday, told the media.
He described the incident as unfortunate, coming barely six months after another aircraft crash was recorded in the country.
He also gave an assurance that investigators would conduct a thorough probe to establish the exact cause of the crash and help to prevent similar incidents in the future.
Mr Wumborti praised the security agencies for their swift response and also for securing the area to allow investigators to carry out their work without interference.
“For now, the police and the military have secured the crash scene.
Tomorrow morning, we will return to collect the debris and secure it for detailed investigations to determine what exactly caused the crash,” he said.
Writer’s email:
