A heartbreaking road accident on the Dodo-Pepesu stretch of the Eastern Corridor Road has claimed five lives and left over 50 others injured — all due to an attempt to dodge a pothole.
The incident, which occurred on Wednesday, April 9, in the Kadjebi District of the Oti Region, involved a VIP bus (GT 6598-10) heading from Bimbilla to Accra and a 207 Benz Bus (GT 6151-U) transporting market-goers from Dodo-Amanfrom to Kpassa.
According to eyewitness accounts, the VIP bus swerved in an attempt to avoid a deep pothole and crashed head-on into the oncoming Benz bus.
Three of the five deceased victims have been identified as Kwasi Owusu, 12, John Kpodo, 21, and Veronica Gadabor, 34 — all from Dodo-Amanfrom. The identities of two others remain unknown, and authorities are appealing to the public for assistance.
Hospital authorities at St. Mary Theresa Catholic Hospital in Dodi-Papase, where the injured were rushed, reported that 14 individuals are still on admission. Mr. Norbert Apuri, the hospital manager, confirmed that 47 of the injured were passengers on the VIP bus, while 11 were from the Benz bus.
Local leader Mr. Michael Zowonu, Assemblyman for Dodo-Amanfrom South, stated that nine passengers were aboard the 207 Benz Bus. He confirmed that two of the deceased from his community were set to be buried on Monday, April 14.
The crash brings renewed attention to the deteriorating condition of Ghana’s Eastern Corridor Road, with residents and travelers calling for urgent intervention to prevent further tragedies caused by poor road maintenance.
As investigations continue, families mourn, and a community grapples with yet another avoidable loss, the call for safer roads grows louder.
