Ofankor crash: Stop publishing graphic images, videos — Oppong Nkrumah urges media
Former Information Minister Kojo Oppong Nkrumah has urged media organisations and bloggers to stop publishing graphic images and videos from the fatal accident at Ofankor on the Accra-Nsawam Highway.
The Ghana National Fire Service (GNFS) has confirmed that 11 people were killed and 13 others injured in the multiple-vehicle crash on Thursday, August 13.
The crash occurred at about 4:00 a.m. on the Ofankor-Pokuase stretch, between the Ofankor Barrier and the John Teye enclave, and involved 24 people.
In a social media post on the same day, the Ofoase Ayirebi MP urged media practitioners and bloggers to consider the emotional trauma such content could cause victims' families.
“Before you hit forward or share in a WhatsApp group do remember that the gory footage you are posting is a relative of a loved one,” he said.
“I will urge our brothers in the media and blogosphere to refuse to air or post these videos of innocent lives lost,” he added.
The crash involved seven vehicles — two tipper trucks, two Sprinter buses, two saloon cars and a tricycle.
The 13 injured victims have been conveyed to the Achimota Hospital for medical attention.
Oppong Nkrumah also expressed condolences to the families of those who lost their lives and prayed for comfort for persons affected by the tragedy.
“May God console families whose relatives have been affected,” he said.