Two final-year students of Ekumfi Obidan-Potwabin Basic School in the Central Region have been killed after a speeding tipper truck knocked them down while they were returning home from voluntary classes.
The accident occurred on Tuesday afternoon in the Ekumfi District, shortly after the three students had left school.
The students were attending voluntary classes organised by the school to help final-year candidates keep up with their studies amid the ongoing nationwide teachers’ strike.
One of the students died at the scene, while the second was pronounced dead on arrival at the Roman Catholic Hospital in Mankessim. The third student sustained severe injuries and is in critical condition.
Deputy Chairman of the School Management Board, Emmanuel Ekow Arthur, said the school community had been thrown into shock and mourning.
He said the voluntary classes were introduced to ensure the students did not fall behind academically and were adequately prepared for their final examinations.
Residents have meanwhile called for urgent measures to control speeding by tipper trucks and other heavy-duty vehicles in the community.
They are appealing to the Ekumfi District Assembly, the Ghana Police Service and the National Road Safety Authority to install speed ramps and road signs and increase enforcement.
The bodies of the two students have been deposited at the morgue as police investigate the accident. It is not yet clear whether the tipper truck driver has been arrested.
