Falling Tree Kills Mother And Child

The severe storm and heavy downpour which ravaged parts of Accra early Friday morning claimed two victims at Haatso, an Accra suburb.

They were a 23-year-old woman and her two-month-old baby who were crushed to death by a falling tree.

The mother was identified as Veronica Bossman, while her baby’s name was given as Caleb Kobina.

They were said to be asleep in their room when the tree fell during the storm that preceded the downpour in parts of Accra.

The remains of the deceased have been taken to the Police Hospital for autopsy.

The deceased’s husband, Michael Adu, who was injured, was saved by a whisker.

Adu survived because he had just stepped out of the room to answer the call of nature minutes before the tree fell on the building.

It took officials of the National Disaster Management Organisation (NADMO) some time before they could clear the tree which had also fallen on part of a road, for use by motorists and pedestrians.

Eyewitnesses claimed they could not rescue the deceased persons for fear of being electrocuted by the electric poles which had fallen down as a result of the storm.

The tragic incident happened a months after Adu and Ms Bossman had performed the baby’s naming ceremony.

A Toyota saloon car belonging to Adu’s next-door neighbour was also damaged by the falling tree.

Several houses and stores in the area were destroyed in the storm, while several buildings had their roofs ripped off.

In an interview, the Kwabenya District Police Commander, Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP) Mr Ameyaw Afriyie, said the police responded to a distress call early Friday that some unidentified people had been crushed by a falling tree.

He said although the police, together with personnel of the Ghana National Fire Service and the National Disaster Management Organisation (NADMO), had arrived on the scene on time, the two persons were already dead.

graphic.com.gh