By Yussif Ibrahim, GNA
Akomadan (Ash), May 26, GNA – Grief and anxiety engulfed Akomadan in the Offinso North District of the Ashanti Region on Tuesday after a fatal road crash on the Kumasi-Techiman highway claimed 12 lives leaving two others battling for their survival.
The accident, involving a commercial passenger vehicle and a cargo truck, drew large crowds of shocked residents and travellers to the scene.
Twisted metal parts, shattered glass and scattered personal belongings littered the highway as rescue teams, and some residents worked frantically to pull victims from the wreckage.
At the Nkekaasu Government Hospital, sorrowful scenes unfolded as relatives gathered anxiously, hoping to trace missing loved ones believed to have travelled on the ill-fated vehicle.
Some family members were seen making frantic phone calls while others moved from ward to ward and around the hospital premises searching for information.
Health officials confirmed to the media that two survivors who sustained severe injuries were receiving treatment under intensive care.
Bodies of the deceased have been deposited at the hospital morgue pending identification and preservation.
Dr Samuel Freeman Mensah, a medical doctor at the hospital, speaking with the media, appealed to the public to assist authorities in identifying the victims to enable their families to be contacted without delay.
“The situation is heartbreaking. We are appealing to anyone whose relative may have travelled on that route to come to the facility and assist with identification,” he said.
Residents of Akomadan expressed worry about the increasing number of crashes recorded on the busy Kumasi-Techiman highway, describing the latest tragedy as one of the deadliest in recent times.
Some commercial drivers blamed excessive speeding and dangerous overtaking on the highway for the persistent accidents and called for intensified road safety enforcement.
Police personnel visited the scene to begin investigations into the cause of the accident, while traffic on the highway was temporarily disrupted during the rescue operation.
GNA
Edited by Linda Asante Agyei
Reporter: Yussif Ibrahim