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The fifth victim of the tragic Owabi River accident has been found, bringing the harrowing search and rescue mission to a close.
The body of Doreen Yassan, 5, was discovered by search teams early Wednesday morning, nearly 24 hours after the initial incident claimed the lives of four others including her mother.
“We removed four from the river yesterday and this morning we found the body of the young girl. The body has been deposited at the morgue after relatives confirmed their identity. They are now at the Mount Sinai morgue”, said Atwima Nwabiagya North District NADMO Coordinator James Nketia.
The police have started investigating the circumstances surrounding this incident and have described the cause of death as “unnatural”.
Road crash decline
Between January and September 2024, Ghana experienced the loss of 1,817 lives in road accidents, marking an 8.35% increase from the 1,677 fatalities recorded in the same period last year, according to the National Road Safety Authority (NRSA).
Interestingly, the overall number of road crashes has declined. Over the nine-month period this year, 9,820 incidents were reported, a 7.48% decrease from 10,614 in 2023.
Pearl Adusu Sateckla, the NRSA’s public relations officer, who revealed this to asaaseradio.com, expressed concern about the rising death toll and urged drivers to adhere to traffic laws.
She said between January and September 11,408 individuals had suffered injuries in road crashes, down from 11,694 in the same period last year. Pedestrian incidents also decreased, with 1,750 struck this year compared to 1,847 in 2023.
The injury statistics stem from the 9,820 crashes this year, which involved 16,627 vehicles, a reduction from 18,056 in 2023.
Sateckla attributed these positive trends to improved compliance with traffic regulations and collaborative efforts between the NRSA, law enforcement, NGOs focused on road safety, the media and commercial road service providers.
“The decrease can be linked to the adherence to traffic regulations by drivers, especially those in commercial transport, and the various interventions by the NRSA and our partners, including the Stay Alive Campaign,” she said.
With the general election and the holiday season approaching, Sateckla assured the public that the NRSA is working actively to minimise road accidents.
To enhance road safety education, she announced the establishment of district road safety management committees across all 16 regions, with approximately 82% of the effort to realise this already completed.
Sateckla urged all road users to exercise caution, adhere to speed limits and comply with the safety regulations.
SOURCE: DAILY MAIL GH
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