Rail Minister visits accident victims

The Minister of Railways, Ports and Harbours, Christopher Ameyaw Ekumfi, last Tuesday visited six persons on admission at the Tarkwa Government Hospital who were involved in the recent Prestea-Hunivalley train crash.

Accompanied by some officials of the Ghana Railway Company, including the Managing Director Rufus Qyaye, the Minister presented a cash of GH¢20,000 to Alan Anku, the hospital administrator, to cater for expenses the hospital may incur in treating the injured.

The Statesman learnt that two of the patients who sustained serious leg injuries may be referred to the Okomfo Anokye and Effia -Nkwanta Hospitals for either amputation or Plaster of Paris. They are Margaret Sabbah and Dinah Arhin.

The Tarkwa government hospital has so far treated and discharged six persons since the unfortunate train crash which occurred on Wednesday May 14.

Prof Ameyaw Ekumfi who later visited families of those who lost their lives in the crash pledged to assist in the burial and final funeral rites of the bereaved. He assured the families that his Ministry would set up a fact-finding committee to investigate the accident to forestall any future re-occurence.

The minister later visited the accident scene to assess the extent of damage done. It will be recalled that two cargo trains of the GRC on Wednesday May 14 crashed at Prestea-Hunivalley claiming seven lives on the spot. One of the trains loaded with bauxite was coming from Awaso to Takoradi whilst the other which had already offloaded its cargo in Takoradi, was coming back to Awaso with about thirty passengers on board.

The cause of their crashing has been attributed to breakdown of communication system at Nkoranteng where telephone links used by the company's station masters have been faulty for the past three months.