Two final-year students of the Ekumfi Obidan-Potwabin Basic School in the Ekumfi District of the Central Region have been killed after being knocked down by a speeding tipper truck.
The tragic incident occurred on Tuesday afternoon while three students were returning home from school.
According to information gathered, the three victims were part of a group of final-year students who had been in school for voluntary classes organized by the school authorities to help the students during the nationwide teachers’ strike, which is currently going on.
The classes aimed to help candidates catch up on their academic work and prepare for their final examinations despite the ongoing nationwide teachers’ strike.
The students were on their way home after the close of the voluntary classes when the tipper truck, which was reportedly speeding, ran over them.
One of the students died on the spot from the impact, while a second student was pronounced dead on arrival at the Roman Catholic Hospital in Mankessim, where they were rushed for emergency treatment.
The third student, who also sustained severe injuries, is in critical condition and is currently receiving treatment.
Confirming the incident to MyJoyOnline.com, the Deputy Chairman of the School Management Board, Emmanuel Ekow Arthur, said the school community has been thrown into a state of shock and mourning following the untimely deaths.
He explained that the school had taken the initiative to organize voluntary lessons for the final-year students to ensure they do not fall behind academically as a result of the nationwide strike action by teachers.
Mr. Arthur described their deaths as a big loss not only to their families but to the entire Obidan-Potwabin community.
The incident has sparked grief and outrage among parents, teachers, and residents in the area, with many calling for stricter regulation of heavy-duty vehicles that ply the community roads, especially during school hours.
Residents say tipper trucks and other heavy trucks frequently speed through the town, posing a serious danger to schoolchildren and other pedestrians.
They are appealing to the Ekumfi District Assembly, the Ghana Police Service, and the National Road Safety Authority to urgently intervene by mounting speed ramps, road signs, and increased enforcement to prevent further tragedies.
The bodies of the two deceased students have been deposited at the morgue, while the police have commenced investigations into the accident. As of the time of filing this report, it is unclear whether the driver of the tipper truck has been arrested.
Police are said to be on the scene as investigations continue.
Meanwhile, teaching and learning activities at the Ekumfi Obidan-Potwabin Basic School have been temporarily disrupted as students and teachers struggle to come to terms with the loss of their colleagues.
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