Road Murders: 20 Perish Again

Twenty people perished and several others sustained various degrees of injuries in two separate accidents in the Northern Region.

The first accident, which claimed 18 lives, occurred at Yapei-Yipala on the Tamale–Buipe Highway while the second, which killed two people, happened at Savelugu between Diare and Gushie.

Yapei-Yipala accident killed 18
According to a police report, 16 people died on the spot in the accident that occurred at Yapei-Yipala on the Tamale–Buipe Highway while two others died later at the Tamale Teaching hospital. Scores of other passengers were also injured.

Public Relations Officers of the Northern Regional Police Command, Assistant Superintendent of Police (ASP) Mohammed Ussif Tanko said that police investigations revealed that the accident happened at 1:42am and involved a Neoplan bus, with registration number GW 2659 –T, carrying 70 passengers and another bus with registration number GM 5383 – 12.

The police report said the Neoplan bus was travelling from Nalerigu to Ejura while the other bus was coming from the Buipe direction.

He said on reaching a section of the road at Yapei-Yipala on the Tamale-Buipe Highway, the driver of the Neoplan bus attempted to overtake a cargo vehicle ahead of him in a curve, and in the process crashed into an oncoming bus.

The injured were rushed to the Tamale Teaching Hospital (TTH) for treatment while the dead were also conveyed to the mortuary of the same hospital for preservation.

The 18 people who died in the Yapei-Yipala accident included the drivers of the two vehicles.

45 People rushed to Tamale Teaching Hospital
When The Finder visited the hospital, Dr Ken Osei Mensah said 45 people were rushed there, but 18 have been pronounced dead.

16 Bodies identified
He revealed that family members who thronged the hospital identified 16 out of the 18 dead bodies.

7 Bodies claimed for burial
As of the time of filing this report, Dr Mensah said seven bodies had been claimed by their families for burial in line with Islamic tradition.

Some family members gave the names of four indigenes of Nelerigu who died in the accident as Zakaria, Sule, Bugri and Sadique.
Savelugu accident killed 2
The Savelugu accident claimed two lives: one on the spot and the other at the hospital.

According to a police report released by the Northern Regional Police Command, the accident involved a tricycle loaded with firewood from Diare and a cargo truck, also loaded with lumber from Savelugu direction.

The report said preliminary investigations revealed that the rope tying the firewood got torn and the rider lost his balance and rode into the lane of the heavily loaded truck.

It said the body of one of the accident victims was smashed beyond recognition, and the pieces could not be picked to the morgue; therefore a medical officer performed the autopsy on the spot.
It said the other victim, who was transported to the Tamale Teaching Hospital in an ambulance, also died later.