Accident at Nkontonpon

Story: Moses Dotsey Aklorbortu, Nkontonpon
SEVEN children were seriously injured, two of them in critical condition, when a heavily loaded grader with failed brakes rammed through a crowd of Sunday school goers at Nkontonpon, in the Western Region.
But for divine intervention, the casualty figures would have been higher as the grader decended a hill and headed in the children’s direction.
Many of the children managed to escape but the objects cleared by the grader on its way downhill seriously injuring the seven who are now on admission at the Effia-Nkwanta Regional Hospital.
The injured children included Francisca Nyamekeh, 6; Ruth Amoasi, 7; Mariam Ameye, 7; Angelina Esibuch,7; Gloria Ankoma, 8; Emmanuel Entsuah, 7, and Kaala Sam.
Apart from injuring the children, the machine also destroyed a petty trader’s shop and prefabricated metal canopies parked off the road for rental, before finally crashing into a building, causing extensive damage to it.
According to an eyewitness, the machine was working without any problem in the early hours of the day but at about 1.00 p.m., the operator moved to the top of the hill where the problem started.
"On his way downhill, we heard the operator shouting as he tried to control the speed of the machine to no avail. The older ones among the children managed to escape but the younger ones were trapped by objects that had been cleared by the machine," the eyewitness said.
Madam Akosua Kakraba, a middle-aged woman whose room was badly damaged by the machine, said, "From church I entered the room and only moved out again as a result of the pandemonium, not knowing that I was rather escaping death."
When this reporter entered Madam Kakraba’s room, it was evident that debris from the part of the building that was hit by the machine were on the bed.
The building is currently not habitable, as it has developed more cracks than before, according to the residents.
Mrs Grace Amoasi, the mother of one of the victims, Ruth, said she could only thank God that none of the children died and prayed that her daughter and other children on admission would get well soon to join their colleagues.
When contacted, the Director of CA Company, Mr Charles Mensah, who expressed shock at the turn of events, assured the community and those affected that his company would be responsible for the damage caused to the property and the children.
The Western Regional Commander of the Motor Traffic and Transport Unit (MTTU) of the Ghana Police Service, Mr George Adussa-Poku, said the police had taken control of the situation and were currently investigating the cause.