Scores siphon diesel from tanker truck at accident scene on Kumasi-Accra highway
A chaotic scene unfolded at Ohene-Nkwanta near Konongo on the Kumasi-Accra highway, where numerous community members besieged an accident site, forcefully opened the compartments of a tanker truck, and began siphoning diesel.
Despite the intervention by police and military officers, the locals continued taking the diesel.
The incident occurred following a head-on collision involving three vehicles: a tanker truck loaded with diesel, a Toyota Camry, and a VIP-branded bus.
The accident, which happened around 7 a.m. on Saturday, resulted in the death of the Toyota Camry driver on the spot.
The other occupant of the Toyota Camry, as well as the driver of the tanker truck and his assistant, sustained injuries and have been hospitalized.
The tanker truck was transporting 36,000 liters of diesel from Accra to Kumasi. Officers from the Ghana Police Service and the Ghana National Fire Service faced significant challenges in clearing the accident scene and removing the trapped bodies from the severely damaged Toyota Camry.
Eventually, both the tanker truck and the wrecked Toyota Camry were towed to the Konongo Divisional Police Command.
Asante Akim Central Municipal Fire Commander, D.O. 3 Joseph Bryden, provided details of the incident to Citi News.
“There were three casualties: two injured and one reported dead. The Konongo fire team was swift and was able to minimize the carnage,” he said.
Mohammed Zakaria, the owner of the tanker truck, expressed his distress over the incident. He described the siphoning of the diesel as unfortunate and stated that he could not immediately quantify his losses.
