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Transport Minister weeps at Kintampo accident site

The Minister for Transport, Kwaku Ofori Asiamah, could not control himself when he visited the mass burial site of 38 victims of last Friday’s Kintampo road crash who were burnt beyond recognition.

Kwaku Ofori Asiamah wept uncontrollably after listening to some of the accident victims narrate their story.

He was, however, consoled by his colleague Minister for Roads and Highways, Kwasi Amoako Atta, who accompanied him to the site.

This was when they visited some of the accident victims at the Techiman Holy Family Hospital and the Kintampo South District Hospital on Tuesday, March 26, 2019, to commiserate with them.

The two ministers who were accompanied by the Executive Director of the Ghana National Road Safety Commission (NRSC), May Obiri Yeboah and personnel from both Techiman and Kintampo Police Commands, also visited the accident scene at Ampomakrom in the Kintampo South District.

The team had on Monday also visited victims of the Ekumfi road crash which happened on the same Friday, March 22, 2019, at Trauma & Specialist Hospital, Winneba and the St. Luke Holy Family Hospital, Apam.

The driver of the KIA Grand Bird, according to the narration of the surviving victims, was over speeding and at a point dosing off, disregarding all the numerous calls from the passengers to slow down.

And in the process, veered off his and collided head-on with an incoming VVIP bus with registration number GT 3916 – 17 which was travelling from Accra to Tamale.

The Grand Bird bus, on the other hand, was travelling from Garu Tempane to Kumasi.

“We were coming from Garu and somewhere along the line, we saw another vehicle climbing the hilly road. Our driver over sped to reach that vehicle and at a point in time tried overtaking it. From there, he continued speeding and when you caution him to exercise restraint, he tells you that he wants to pick some market women who trade in okro who were waiting for him. He even told us those who could not withstand the speed at which he was travelling could get off the vehicle. So after crossing the Police barrier, I saw him dozing off and has veered off the road but it was too late to save the situation. Our bus in the process, run into the incoming VVIP bus causing this avoidable accident”, Ernest Atabila, one of the victims said.

The story of the victims was corroborated by the Kintampo Divisional Police Commander, ACP Joseph Gyawu.

Mr. Asiamah, said he is completely shocked and devastated by the stories of the victims.

He and urged the citizenry to take the safety of their lives into their own hands by cautioning speeding drivers to slow down.

“Please join us to educate the citizenry about security and road safety on our roads because so many lives are being lost. You know for a fact that today, the number one killer disease is no more malaria – it is road crashes. And so, we now have to take our destiny into our own hands”, he noted

He also urged the Police to map out new strategies to strictly enforce regulations covering road safety in the country.

“I know that you are doing your best but seeing and knowing what is happening to us, all of us must up our game and see that wherever we are having lapses and allowing these reckless drivers to behave the way they are behaving, we try to tackle it so that they don’t capitalize on the loose points and misbehave”, he said.

The Minister of Roads and Highways, Kwasi Amoako Atta expressed grief at the loss of lives in the accident.

He added, that the National Road Safety Commission (NRSC) ought to be commended for intensifying their sensitization and educational campaign from last year to date rather than to be castigated.

According to the Police, 59 lives have so far been lost through the Kintampo road crash out of which 39 got burnt.

53 people from both buses survived the road crash.

Some of the surviving victims who were taking to the various hospitals in the enclave have been treated and discharged.

Four dead bodies are still in the Kintampo South District morgue and are yet to be identified by their relatives, according to the Medical Superintendent of the Hospital, Cornelius Atso Blekpi.

Source: citi

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