Four schoolchildren have died, and three others have been injured after a Hyundai van crashed into them at Aboabo in the Asokore Mampong Municipality of the Ashanti Region.
The deceased, identified as Juraid Mohammed, Anisah Ibrahim, Fati Muniru and Raiyan Faisal, were all eight years old. They were pronounced dead on arrival at the Manhyia District Hospital.
Two other victims, Laila Muniru, 12, and Bushira Musapha, five, are in critical condition and have been referred to the Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital for further treatment. The seventh victim, six-year-old Saisa Bila, is in stable condition and receiving treatment at the Manhyia District Hospital.
The children, all pupils of the School of Islamic Studies at Akotosu, were reportedly on their way across the road after school on Tuesday when the accident occurred.
Eyewitnesses said the van was travelling from the Aboabo Post Office area towards the Airport Roundabout when it reportedly lost control while descending a slope. The vehicle veered onto the pavement, where the children were waiting to cross, and struck them.
Police officers from the Airport District Police Command responded to the scene, helped maintain order and cleared the road to traffic.
The driver is in police custody, while the damaged vehicle has been impounded as investigations continue into the circumstances of the crash.
The bodies of the four children have been released to their families after identification, with burial arrangements being made in accordance with Islamic customs on Wednesday.
The headmaster of the School of Islamic Studies, Bawa Abdul-Rahman, has appealed to the Asokore Mampong Municipal Assembly and other relevant authorities to urgently construct a footbridge at the location to prevent similar accidents.
