Crash between newly imported train and parked truck: What we know so far
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A recently imported train crashed into a wrongly parked Hyundai truck on the Tema-Mpakadan route, where the train was undertaking a test run.
The incident which took place on April 18, 2024, has hogged news headlines with some key fallouts recorded hours after the incident.
So far, the Railways Development Ministry and the Ghana Police Service have issued statements giving key updates on the incident.
Police arrest truck driver
Their statement on April 18 read in part: “The Ghana Police Service has arrested the driver of a Hyundai truck with registration number GS 9018 – 20 for allegedly causing an accident involving a Diesel Multiple Unit (DMU) train on the Tema-Mpakadan railway line today Thursday 18th April 2024.
“Police preliminary investigation has established that the suspect driver left the said vehicle unattended on the railway line, leading to a collision with the train.”
Ministry statement confirms incident:
The Ministry of Railways Development confirmed the crash via a press statement, that disclosed that the train, a Diesel Multiple Unit (DMU) 001, hit a stationary vehicle during the test run; adding that no person was injured.
“At approximately 12:10 pm on Thursday, 18th April 2024, while conducting the test, an incident took place around Km76+100. The DMU, upon approaching the curve at Km76+100, encountered a stationary vehicle stationed right across the rail track.
“Despite the immediate application of the emergency braking system, the train was unable to come to a complete stop before colliding with the vehicle.”
The ministry added, “The DMU involved has been moved to the Workshop for further assessment and necessary repairs”.
How the accident happened:
The train which arrived from Poland about two weeks ago crashed during a test run as it was being prepared to ply the Tema-Mpakadan railway line.
Pictures of the crash, shared on social media showed the front of the train badly damaged.
The train hit a Hyundai truck that had been abandoned across a section of the stretch.
Videos of the badly crashed and dismembered parts of the truck have also been shared on social media.
Social media users react
Social media users reacted furiously to a photo of a Hyundai truck parked on a rail line. It is believed that the photo was taken before the impact.
In a photo that has since gone viral on social media, pro-government accounts and media outlets blasted the driver who is alleged to have parked the truck and disappeared.
On social media, opinions were split with some drawing political motives, accusing the driver of acting out of political malice. Others are also questioning the official government narrative about how the accident was not avoided.
Read some reactions below:
John Peter Amewu, the railway minister was among those who reacted on social media, “Unfortunate, irresponsible, and unpatriotic!” he captioned his Facebook post with the said photo.
“The new train they brought has had an accident during the testing. Nothing works in this country,” X user Olamide (@OlamideGh) wrote.
ENOCK @enocksmith84 wrote: “Ghana, recently acquired train, has been involved in an accident while on a test somewhere in the Asuogyaman.
“A KIA truck was parked right on the rails Someone deliberately did this just to destroy the train and bring losses to the country. How do you even expect people to use this when texting it got into an accident?”
Charles Nii Teiko Tagoe, a presidential staffer wrote on Facebook: “The access route is on the left side as seen in the picture, so how did the driver end up parking nicely on the railway track? Bunch of unpatriotic nation wreckers.”
X user Ofori-Akuffo (@OforiAkuffo) asked: “Still tryna figure out how the accident happened. Was site of the obstruction obscured somehow? Was it a bullet train?”
Etornam Axandrah,ADL (@EtornamAxandrah) expressed doubts: “The train’s accident is not making sense to me one bit.”
View pictures of the incident below:
