Fresh graduate from UEW, two sisters among others died from train accident in Wassa Manso

A head-on collision between two trains that were moving in the opposite direction left many dead in Manso Wassa, a town in the Mpohor District in the Western Region of Ghana.

The accident occurred on Saturday, December 18, and it was reported that both of the trains were moving on the Tarkwa-Kojokrom route, one from Tarkwa and the other from Kojokrom.

According to the District Chief Executive (DCE) of Mpohor District, Mr Ignatius Asaah Mensah made it known a 2021 graduate from the University of Education, Winneba, who was travelling back home to meet his family died in the accident.

According to him, Four people died on the spot and after there were taken to the hospital including those who were injured, another was pronounced dead, making a total of five people. Also, two blood sisters and the train driver who was moving from Kojokrom were among those who died.

However, they are now working with the Ghana Police Service and other organisations to identify family members of some of the dead persons and the injured ones as well.

The Ghana Railways Cooperation, spearheaded by the Minister of Railways, Mr John Peter Amewu has made plans to set up a committee to look into the cause of the accident and also prevent similar future occurrences.

A passenger who spoke to skyypowerfm.com revealed that he boarded the train from Nsuta, a small town in the Tarkwa Nsuaem Municipality at about 6 am on the same day of the accident but the train moved at exactly 8 am.

During their journey, one passenger wanted to drop along the route but the train failed to stop which information was given that, the locomotive has a brake failure.

He was advised by another passenger to hold on tight since they are destined for a collision or a sad ending since the train cannot be stopped by any technical means. As he was holding on tight, all he heard was a big bang which he discovered that there has been a head-on collision with another train that was moving in the opposite direction from Takoradi on the same rail, he indicated that there were no serious injuries in his cabin, just minor ones.

He later discovered that more than five people have died in the other cabins including the train driver from Takoradi.