Kintampo accident: It was tough retrieving bodies – Officer

Rescuers had a difficult time evacuating victims of the Kintampo Waterfall accident over the weekend, Assistant Divisional Officer Grade One Adu Kumi, Kintampo Fire Officer of the Ghana National Fire Service, has revealed.

Some 18 persons have been retrieved from the Kintampo Waterfall after a tree fell on them following an earlier rainstorm in the area. The incident is said to have happened on Sunday March 19 at about 4:30pm.

According to reports, the tree fell onto persons, most of them believed to be students, who were swimming under the fall.

Speaking in an interview with Chief Jerry Forson, host of Ghana Yensom on Accra 100.5FM on Monday 20 March, the fire officer said: “We did our best to rescue the victims, however we had a very tough time doing so.

“It was difficult for us because the tree that fell was so huge, but with the help of some residents in the area we were able to cut the tree to retrieve the bodies.”

ADO1 Kumi cautioned the general public to take their personal safety seriously, saying: “All of us should take our personal safety seriously.”