ACCRA, July 16 (Xinhua) -- At least 12 people have been killed in a head-on collision in central Ghana, the Ghana National Fire Service (GNFS) confirmed Thursday.
According to GNFS Public Relations Officer Alex King Nartey, the accident occurred at Konongo in the Ashanti Region in the early hours of Thursday, involving a passenger bus, a cargo truck transporting tomatoes, and an empty fuel tanker.
Initial reports from the GNFS show that the cargo truck, which was going from Kumasi to Accra, tried to pass another vehicle on a hill and lost control, causing it to crash head-on with the bus that was traveling from Accra to northern Ghana, while the empty fuel tanker then drove into the crash site.
"The accident resulted in 12 fatalities, comprising nine males and three females. In all, 44 persons got injured, out of which 30 sustained critical injuries," said Nartey.
Meanwhile, the GNFS, together with other emergency response agencies, carried out rescue operations, extricated trapped victims, and secured the scene to facilitate the safe evacuation of casualties and restoration of traffic flow. ■