35 burnt to death in ghastly road crash on Kintampo – Tamale highway

Although the police put the number of people who lost their lives at 29, in the fatal motor accident at Kawompe along the Kintampo-Tamale highway yesterday, the Bono East Regional Minister, Kofi Amoakohene speaking to the media put the number at 35.

He said his briefing was that, of the number, 27 were burnt beyond recognition while six were injured and are in critical condition.

According to him one person escaped with scratches.

The Ghanaian Times gathered that there was a head-on collision between a sprinter mini bus and a Kia grand bird bus on that stretch of the road.

According to an eyewitness account, the two buses caught fire after the collision, killing all onboard the Sprinter and others in the grand bird bus, including a pregnant woman and the two drivers.

It took personnel of the Ghana National Fire Service (GNFS) hectic time to retrieve the charred bodies that were trapped in the two burnt vehicles.

The Kintampo Divisional Crime Officer, Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP) Prosper Gbagbo, who confirmed the accident, said it happened at about 3am on Monday.

He said the grand-bird bus which was traveling from Bawku in the Upper East Region to down south was loaded with sacks of pepper while the Sprinter was traveling from Kumasi to the North.

According to DSP Gbagbo, only three of the bodies in the Sprinter could be identified adding that the rest were burnt beyond recognition.

He said that the six survivors were taken to the Kintampo Government Hospital for medical attention.