A tragic incident occurred on Tuesday afternoon in the Ekumfi District of Ghana's Central Region, where a speeding tipper truck knocked down and killed two final-year students of the Ekumfi Obidan-Potwabin Basic School. The students were part of a group of final-year students who had been attending voluntary classes organized by the school authorities to help them catch up on their academic work during the nationwide teachers' strike.
According to the Deputy Chairman of the School Management Board, Emmanuel Ekow Arthur, the school community has been thrown into a state of shock and mourning following the untimely deaths. The voluntary classes aimed to help candidates prepare for their final examinations despite the ongoing nationwide teachers' strike. The incident has sparked grief and outrage among parents, teachers, and residents in the area.
The two students died from their injuries, with one pronounced dead on the spot and the other at the Roman Catholic Hospital in Mankessim. A third student, who sustained severe injuries, is in critical condition and receiving treatment. The incident has raised concerns about the safety of schoolchildren and pedestrians in the area, with many calling for stricter regulation of heavy-duty vehicles.
Residents say tipper trucks and other heavy trucks frequently speed through the town, posing a serious danger to schoolchildren and other pedestrians. They are appealing to the Ekumfi District Assembly, the Ghana Police Service, and the National Road Safety Authority to urgently intervene by mounting speed ramps, road signs, and increased enforcement to prevent further tragedies.
The bodies of the two deceased students have been deposited at the morgue, while the police have commenced investigations into the accident. As of the time of reporting, it is unclear whether the driver of the tipper truck has been arrested. Police are said to be on the scene as investigations continue.
The incident has disrupted teaching and learning activities at the Ekumfi Obidan-Potwabin Basic School, as students and teachers struggle to come to terms with the loss of their colleagues. The school had taken the initiative to organize voluntary lessons for the final-year students to ensure they do not fall behind academically due to the nationwide strike action by teachers.
The Ekumfi District Assembly, the Ghana Police Service, and the National Road Safety Authority are expected to take measures to prevent similar incidents in the future. The community is in mourning, and the school is working to provide support to the affected students and teachers.
Key points
- Two final-year students of the Ekumfi Obidan-Potwabin Basic School were killed by a speeding tipper truck.
- The incident has sparked calls for stricter regulation of heavy-duty vehicles in the area.
- The school community is in mourning, and teaching activities have been temporarily disrupted.
