Four persons escaped death by a whisker in Ho in the Volta Region when the vehicle in which they were travelling was washed away by flood waters.
The vehicle was washed into a storm drain in the regional capital after almost three hours of torrential rains. It took the timely intervention of onlookers to rescue the passengers.
The salon car landed on its side in the storm drain. According to eyewitnesses, the driver disregarded the dangers on the road and attempted driving through the floodwaters.
“We were by the roadside when the vehicle which was from the Ola Senior High Schools was heading towards the market fell into the storm drain. People rushed to the scene. They forced the door open and got the passengers out.
“There was a lady at the back seat who forced the door open herself, but the driver and another passenger could not open their doors. It took a while for them to be rescued,” an eyewitness told JoyNews.
The almost three-hour heavy rains left several parts of the regional capital, Ho, submerged in floodwaters.
A team from the Volta Regional Fire Service was dispatched to the scene to salvage the situation.
“It took us about an hour to be able to strategize and move the vehicle out of the place,” PRO for the Volta Regional Fire Service, Prosper Pi-Bansah told the media.
The spot is noted for flooding due to the narrow nature of the road. Residents who witnessed the incident called on authorities to as a matter of urgency fix the situation.
“The road is very narrow, but two vehicles coming from the opposite directions try to squeeze in. So even as traders, we struggle to pass with fear. We’re pleading with them to fix the bridge.
“In Ghana, we always wait for disasters to happen before we take action. It has indeed happened. They should take action,” an angry resident said.
The Ho Municipal Chief Executive, Prosper P. Bansah, who visited the accident scene, promised to take immediate steps to fix the problem.
“This bridge can no longer accommodate the draining of water which is passing through it, and we’ll have to do something about it. They’re working on the drain from the municipal hospital to the Taso.
“Yesterday, they came to me, and I complained bitterly that this bridge is the prime area they need to look at. I’ll send this information to the Volta Regional Minister, and we’ll come and look at it and draw the minister of works and housing’s attention to it,” the MCE said.
Meanwhile, the passengers did not sustain severe injuries.