Rescue operation officials have confirmed that at least 16 passengers died on the spot yesterday morning in a head on collision between a fuel tanker with registration number WR 2063-10 and a Yutong bus at Gomoa Okyereko in the Central Region.

Ebenezer Dadzie of the Ghana National Fire Service (GNFS) told Asaase Breakfast show that dozens of the passengers have been rushed to nearby health facilities for treatment.

Eyewitnesses said the accident happened at dawn around 4:30am when the bus believed to be coming from Cote d’Ivoire veered into the lane of the fuel tanker.

Bodies of the deceased have been deposited at the Winneba Specialist and Trauma Hospital Mortuary.

According to the Motor Traffic and Transport Department (MTTD) of the Ghana Police Service, the first quarter of 2023 saw a reduction in road accidents compared to the same period in 2022.

The statistics revealed that a total of 3,340 cases were recorded between January to March 2023, a 15.06% reduction compared to the same period in 2022.

The Greater Accra Region had the highest number of recorded crashes of 1,243 among the 16 regions while the Oti Region recorded 15 cases being the least.

In total, 544 people have been killed in various road accidents in the country since the beginning of 2023.