Dompoase accident: Fire personnel struggled to rescue victims

It took close to seven hours for Personnel of the Central Region Fire Service to rescue some victims of a gory accident that occurred at Dompoase near Komenda in the wee hours of Tuesday as the vehicles involved in the accident were mangled.

The accident, which involved two 60-seater passenger buses travelling from the opposite direction, claimed the lives of thirty-four persons including; a baby and the personnel had a tough time removing the victims.

Twenty-nine people died on the spot, while five others were pronounced dead on arrival at the hospital.

They are made up of 20 male adults, 11 female adults, two children of both sex aged about eight years and a baby.

However, 59 others, some with life-threatening injuries are receiving treatment at the Cape Coast Teaching and University of Cape Coast Hospitals, where the medical teams worked to save lives when the GNA got there at 0830 hours.

It was a heart-wrenching sight as children under ten years searching in vain for their parents.

Ms Elsie Ayoka, a nurse at the UCC Hospital told the GNA that nine people were brought to the hospital, but four of them with minor injuries were treated and discharged.

Assistant Division Officer (I), Abdul Wasiu Hudu, Central Regional Public Relations Officer of the Ghana National Fire Service (GNFS) who confirmed the incident to the GNA said the tragic incident occurred around 1210 hours on Tuesday.

The buses, a man Diesel and a Hyundai with registration numbers GR 5704-18 and GN3780-10 were travelling from Takoradi to Accra and Accra towards Takoradi respectively.

He said on reaching Dompoase Junction, the driver of the Hyundai bus attempted to overtake a vehicle in front of him and got into the lane of the Man-Diesel bus and in a bid to avoid a crash, the Man Diesel bus hit the driver’s front side through to the middle of the Hyundai.

ADOI Wasiu said the drivers and all the passengers seated at the front seats of the two vehicles died on the spot.

The bodies of the deceased have since been deposited at the mortuary of the Cape Coast Teaching Hospital (CCTH) for autopsy.