A KIA Rhino truck with registration number GE 5070-10, on Thursday night, got involved in a fatal accident, killing three of its passengers instantly.
The truck, allegedly loaded with 154 wooden boards with 15 “loading boys” on board, skidded off the road and somersaulted, while negotiating the Quarters Round-about at Oda.
As a result, all the 15 occupants of the truck got buried under the boards and when a forklift was brought in to remove the load, three of them were found dead; one had his limb completely severed off and the rest seriously injured and are on admission at the Oda Government Hospital.
A source close to the Police Divisional MTTU, told the Ghana News Agency at Akim Oda on Friday that, Imoro Nashuru, 28, was among the deceased and that the other two are yet to be identified.
The source disclosed the victims on admission as Richard Gyamena, 50; Yaw Asiedu, 18; Kofi Anim, 18; Kofi Oduro, 26; Andrew Nkum, 32; Isaac Mensah, 19; Ruben Appiah, 18; Kennedy Ofori, 39; Stephen Ameyaw, 24 and Kwaku Asiedu, 17.
Almost all the victims come from Akim Aduasa, where they were picked as “loading boys”.
According to the source, the driver of the truck, Imoru Zakari, 32, from Akim Oda, drove to Aduasa to pick the loading boys to the Apoli Forest, where they loaded 70 red lumbers to Akim Oda.
Incidentally, the Apoli Forest is a concession forest of the Oda Coppon Sawmills; and the truck was spotted by a Taskforce of the sawmills, who chased the vehicle,
When the truck got to Akim Swedru, Zakari, who was over-speeding, smashed the Police mounted barrier and drove through to Oda.
It was when he attempted negotiating the Quarters Round-about at Oda that the truck skidded off the road.
The remains of the deceased have been deposited at the Oda Government Hospital mortuary, whiles the amputee was referred to Koforidua Hospital.
The source said the Police counted 70 boards on the accident scene and that there were reports that a truck was there to cart some away.
The Police has meanwhile issued a warning to those suspected to have carted away some of the boards to return it to the Police Station.