Kintampo disaster: ‘I have never seen a bus ran so fast’ – survivor

A survivor of the Tamale-Kintampo road carnage has blamed the driver of the Metro Mass bus’s reckless driving as the cause of the accident.

“The driver said he wanted to hurry up to the station to pick passengers for the return journey”, Sumaila said.
Describing how the accident occurred, the survivor who has lost both legs said, the driver refused the plea of passengers to reduce his speed.

“He was really speeding. I have never seen a bus ran so fast”.
According to Sumaila, the driver veered off the road, hit two cattle on the side of the road before ramming headlong into a cargo truck which was moving from the opposite direction.
Fatalities:
At least 63 persons have been confirmed dead, with 23 others severely injured. The fatalities include a 3-month-old baby, pregnant women and the two drivers.
Survivors:
In a miracle arising out of the tragedy, an eight-month-old baby survived, but her mother perished.
The survivors have since been airlifted to hospitals in Techiman, Sunyani and the Komfo Anokye Teaching hospital where they are receiving treatment.
At least three persons with serious degree of injuries have been rushed to Accra for treatment.

Delayed emergency response:
It has been revealed that emergency response arrived four hours after the accident had occurred.
Many people have raised questions about the emergency response to disasters.
The Director of Institutional Care Division at the Ghana Health Service, Dr. Samuel Kaba Akoriyea, has said survivors should have been sent to different hospitals early to “aid immediate care” and for ease of treatment.
The Chief Executive Officer of the Ghana Ambulance Service, Professor Ahmed Nuhu Zakaria, explained that emergency response for the accident delayed because of logistic constraints.