Two accidents claim 11 lives

 Eleven people died in two separate accidents on the Kumasi-Obuasi highway and at Mfensi in the Atwima Nwabiagya District in the Ashanti Region yesterday.

Twenty-three others sustained serious injuries.

In the first accident, nine people died, while12 sustained serious injuries, when an articulated truck collided with a Mercedes Sprinter bus on the outskirts of Dominase on the Kumasi-Obuasi highway yesterday.

In the second one, four persons died on the spot and 11 others sustained injuries when a KIA Prado Mini bus on which they were travelling from Kenyasi in the Brong Ahafo Region to Kumasi crashed into a tree at Mfensi in the Atwima Nwabiagya District yesterday.

All the dead in the Kumasi-Obuasi accident, including a pregnant woman and a child, were in the Mercedes Sprinter, with registration number AW 1420-13.

Of the dead, only one person — the driver of the Sprinter bus — had been identified as of press time.

His name was given as Ernest Nketia and the police said a voters identity card and a bank ATM card that were in his pocket helped them to identify the driver.

The injured persons were sent to the Dominase SDA Hospital and the Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital (KATH).

The bizarre accident, which happened about 2 p.m., momentarily caused vehicular traffic, as many vehicles plying that route pulled up for their occupants to rush to catch glimpses of the scene.

The personal belongings of the occupants of the bus were scattered along the road and traffic built heavily on both ends of the busy road as rescue and recovery work was carried out by the Ghana National Fire Service (GNFS) to remove the dead bodies, some of them mutilated.

Several bystanders shed tears as the operation went on.

The Bekwai Divisional Police Commander, Chief Superintendent Kwasi Akomea Apraku, who was at the accident scene, told the Daily Graphic that the articulated truck, belonging to the Takoradi Floor Mill, was heading towards Kumasi from Takoradi, while the Sprinter was travelling from Kumasi to Assin Fosu.

On reaching the outskirts of Dominase, about 25 km from Kumasi, the Sprinter burst a tyre. The driver swung the bus to the extreme left, lost balance and collided head-on with the oncoming articulated truck, with registration number WR 1552 -09.

The impact of the collision was so great that the mangled Sprinter bus got stuck under the truck, killing the nine on the spot.

Some Good Samaritans immediately managed to send some of the injured to hospital before the GNFS came in to complete the rescue and recovery mission.

The bodies of the deceased in the Mfensi incident, whose identities are yet to be established, have been deposited at KATH.

Some of the passengers who sustained minor injuries were treated at the Mount Sinai Hospital at Atwima Koforidua and discharged.

Briefing the Daily Graphic, the Abuakwa District Commander of the Motor Traffic and Transport Unit (MTTU), Assistant Superintendent of Police Mr Thomas Badu Poku, said the accident occurred about 8 a.m.

He also said the minibus, with registration number AW 6168–13 which was carrying 15 passengers, was heading towards Kumasi when a motor tricycle, popularly called “Aboboyaa”, crossed its lane at Mfensi.

 The bus swerved in a bid to avoid crashing into the tricycle, but in the process it veered off the road, crashing into a tree.

Mr Poku said the rider of the tricycle quickly took to his heels but efforts were being made by the police to arrest him to assist in their investigations.