Audio Attachment:Peacefm's Eastern Regional Correspondent, Obeng Darko, reports of the gory accident near Akim-Oda where nearly 20 people were burnt to ashes.
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17 people on board a Hyundai vehicle with registration number GS 4034-09 were burnt beyond recognition when the vehicle on which they were travelling rammed into a Nissan Urvan truck fully loaded with goods a few kilometers after Akurakumasi a village on the Accra-Oda road on Saturday. 5 others also died on the spot but not through burns.
The Nissan Urvan truck with number GE 5866-09 was on its way to Oda from Nsawam, whiles the Hyundai was on its way from Oda to Agona Swedru.
PEACE FM’S Eastern Regional correspondent, Obeng Darko, who visited the scene of the incident and followed up to the Akim-Oda Government Hospital, reported of completely charred bodies strewn all over the place.
As tragic as the accident was, 11 people luckily survived and are on admission at the Akim-Oda Government Hospital. Of the 11 survivors, 8 of them were in a state of consciousness and were able to shed light on what happened to the PEACEFM correspondent. They are 54 year old David Boateng, Alex Frimpong(10years),Francis Awotwe,30 from Kasoa, and Yaw Ottopah, 25 from Asuabra.
The others, who are all women gave their names as; Jennifer Akakpo,36 from Pokuase; Joyce Yartey, 23; Sophia Eshun, 36 (both from Accra) and 35 year old Selina Akomanim from Nsawam.
However, the remaining three; Collins Antwi, 22; Elizabeth Amissah, 47, and the eleventh person were not able to tell where they were from due to their unconscious state.
The Administrator of the Akim-Oda Government Hospital, Dr.Oteng Wiredu, confirmed to PEACEFM that 22 people lost their lives in the tragic accident (17 burnt bodies and 5 others who died on the spot but not through burns), whiles several others who sustained varying degrees of injuries, are receiving medical attention.
5 of the injured (3 men and 2 women), will be referred to the Korle-bu Teaching Hospital due to the nature of their injuries, but the 17 charred bodies will be transferred to the Police Hospital in Accra.
Meanwhile, the 5 confirmed dead comprised of 4 men and a woman. One of the victims, who happens to be a muslim, Ibrahim Iddrisu, has been buried as tradition demands.
The District Chief Executive (DCE) of Birim South, Hon. Nana Baffour Takyi Mensah and Member of Parliament (MP) for Akim-Oda, Yaw Owusu Boateng and the National Disaster Management Organization (NADMO) Coordinator for the area, Mr.Yaw Awuku Frimpong, who paid a visit to those hospitalised, were unanimous in cautioning drivers to be careful especially as the Christmas festivities approaches.
The DCE added that if the driver of the Hyundai vehicle had exercised restraint when his tyre burst the accident could have been avoided.
Narrating the incident, Obeng Darko said the driver of the Hyundai vehicle lost control at a sharp curve when one of its tyres burst causing him to collide head-on with the oncoming Nissan Urvan.
The Hyundai then somersaulted in the process and shortly burst into flames. Efforts to rescue victims proved unsuccessful due to the intense heat and the late arrival of the fire service crew.
The Administrator of the Akim-Oda Government Hospital, Dr.Oteng Wiredu, is however, appealing to anyone whose relatives left home on the said day from Nsawam to Accra and from Oda to Agona Swedru to make it a responsibility to come to the Akim-Oda Government hospital to help in identifying the charred bodies.
In the other incident, ten people died on the spot and about 14 others sustained various degrees of injuries when a taxi cab and a Benz bus crushed into nearby bushes at Gomoa Mprumaim near Apam Junction on Saturday.
A spokesman for the Apam Police told the Ghana News Agency on Saturday that the two vehicles which were at opposite ends in an attempt to avoid a head-on collision skidded off the road crushing into trees and bushes along the road.
The spokesman said the driver of the taxi whose name was not mention run into a group of vegetable sellers along the road at Mprumaim, killing five of them before hitting a tree which also led to the death the five passengers on board.
According to the police, the bus also run into a nearby tree before somersaulting three times.
The police said none of the victims have been identified.
Source: Alex Ofei and Obeng Darko/Peacefmonline/Ghana
