By Sampson Manu
Obuasi (Ash), Oct. 14, GNA – A tragic accident that occurred on Monday dawn, October 14, 2024, at Kwapia, near Obuasi, has claimed the lives of 13 passengers.
The accident involving a VIP bus travelling from Kumasi to Enchi in the Western North Region veered off the road and plunged into a ditch, killing the 13 passengers, and leaving several others sustaining varied degrees of injuries.
A Police source at Obuasi confirmed that 13 people, made up of seven males, five females and a child, lost their lives in the accident.
Reports indicate that all, but one of the deceased passengers, died instantly at the scene.
The driver, identified as Osei Adu, was transported to the hospital for treatment but succumbed to his injuries shortly after arrival.
The accident has sent shock waves through the local community, as families mourn the loss of their loved ones.
Eyewitness accounts suggest that the bus, which bore the registration number ER 2445-11, was overloaded after it had picked up several stranded passengers from another bus that had broken down on the route.
It is believed that a confrontation among some aggrieved passengers regarding the bus’s overloaded condition might have distracted the driver and contributed to the tragic accident.
Those injured in the crash are receiving treatment at medical facilities at Obuasi, while those with serious cases have been transferred to the Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital in Kumasi.
The bodies of the dead ones have been deposited at a morgue.
The Obuasi police have begun an investigation into the circumstances that led to the accident.
GNA