Tamale: Eight Die in Motor Accident

Eight people are feared dead with dozens injured on the Yendi-Tamale road Thursday following a motor crash, according to health officials.

Road users and travelers were forced to park their vehicles and come out in drizzling rain to rescue and transport the casualties after police and ambulance services were unavailable to respond to SOS messages.

The accident occurred at the outskirt of a village called Puriya, near Sang and a few kilometers from Yendi, between two commercial vehicles who collided head on, causing massive night traffic on the busy highway.

Some of the travelers who turned rescuers after bumping into the accident scene include the Norwegian ambassador to Ghana, Gunnar Holm and his entourage and the Northern Regional Youth Organizer of the NDC, Alhaji Mohammed Aminu, who provided first aid assistance and handed over their vehicles to transport the victims to hospital.

A vehicle AS 693N traveling from Tamale to Yendi veered off the road and slammed into a bus with registration number GW2727S, coming from Nakpali to Tamale, according to the occupant of the Tamale bound bus, Ameen, who survived with a minor hand cut.

Ameen said his master was driving on his lane when the mini bus run off into their car, killing his master instantly. He said he was trapped in the bus for minutes until the rescuers separated the vehicles.

It is not clear what caused the crash but reports say there was low visibility on the road due to the rainfall.

Ambulance services are unavailable in more than half of the districts in the region including Yendi and Mion, the nearest districts capital where the accident happened. The police could not be reached after several efforts by stranded travelers and eye witnesses.

The Yendi hospital officials confirmed receiving the victims and told Starr News treatment were underway.

A medical staff who spoke to StarrNews said nearly eight people may had died already and many of the injured may undergo surgeries.

Source: Starrfmonline