The Kintampo Divisional Police Command says the outcome of the investigations into the gory Kintampo accident that claimed 60 lives is ready.
About 60 persons lost their lives while several others sustained severe injuries when a Kumasi-bound Metro Mass Transit (MMT) bus traveling from Tamale, collided head-on with a truck fully loaded with tomatoes at Kintampo last month.
The Kintampo Divisional Commander Chief Superintendent, Desmond Owusu Boampong, who confirmed the completion of the work of the committee that was inaugurated to investigate the accident, says it is to be handed over to the office of the Inspector General of Police (IGP).
“We have submitted the report so if there is anything, they will take it up over there [the IGP’s office]. It is not us down here. We have finished our report.”
Chief Superintendent Boampong was however stressed that, only relations of the victims of the accidents or victims themselves can request for a copy of the report.
“Anybody who so wishes for the accident report can just apply for it and then come for it provided you are a relative to any of the deceased persons. If you are not a relative, we cannot give you the accident report.”
“If you are not a relative to a deceased, we don’t see why we should give you the accident report,” he concluded.
Bus driver likely ‘guilty’ of reckless overtaking
According to police, initial investigations suggested that the accident was caused by wrongful overtaking in a sharp curve by the MMT Bus driver, who’s also deceased.
That conclusion, they say, stems from the account of the survivors. “Our initial investigations have revealed that the accident was caused by over speeding driving and it was from the Metro Mass Bus.
It was overtaking the vehicle where they met in the same lane and then they had the head-on collision.
The Regional Commander and the Inspector General of Police and some officers of the Ghana Police Service have come to the accident scene to ascertain things for themselves.”
MMT Bus possibly overloaded
In calculating the numbers in both vehicles, the police also said although investigations have not been concluded, it may not be out of place to suggest that there was overloading.
The MMT’s acting Public Relations Officer, Bernice Akologo, in an interview with Citi News however said the bus in question which has a passenger limit of 61 including the driver, left the Kumasi bus terminal with the exact number. It is thus unclear how the numbers increased along the way.
She says the company has set up a committee to investigate the accident and will come out with its report by March.
Source: citifmonline.com
