Two mechanics die in freak accident

Kulungugu (U/E), July 12, GNA- Two apprentice mechanics were crushed to death when the head of an articulated truck they were working on fell on them last Wednesday evening on the Missiga-Kulungugu highway, near Bawku.

Awudu Seidu, master of the apprentices and another, known as Iddi, however escaped unhurt.

Incidentally the deceased were cousins residing at Sabon Geri, a suburb of Bawku, who had only three months to complete their apprenticeship.

Narrating his traumatic experience to the Ghana News Agency (GNA), Master Seidu said the driver of the vehicle with a Burkinabe registration number 11 JJ 2543 came to his workshop at Missiga, a suburb of Bawku and requested him to repair his broken down vehicle bound for Burkina Faso.

He said he picked three of his senior apprentices namely Baba, Fuseini and Iddi to accompany him to do the job. He said upon arrival, they detected that it was a mechanical fault, which required them to raise the head of the truck to work on it. Master Seidu said they worked on it for quite a long time and as the repair work was progressing, he called Iddi aside and asked him to go and buy drinking water for him.

He said just as he was sending Iddi, a cyclonic wind engulfed the area making the head of the truck to fall back, killing the other two apprentices instantly.

Seidu said he informed the relatives of the deceased persons but they prevented him from informing the police and even stopped him from taking the bodies to the hospital.

He said relatives of the deceased complained of not having money to send them to hospital or to follow police procedures. The bodies were taken away by the relatives and buried the same day in accordance with Islamic custom.

Mr. Alhassan Fuseini, a family relative confirmed Seidu's story, saying that the family was not prepared financially to go through any police or hospital procedures and that it was their fate and destiny to die in such a way.

When ASP Alex Acquah, Bawku District Commander, was contacted he said the police had not been informed of the incident but it would go ahead to investigate the case to find out if there was any foul play involved.

Meanwhile, the driver of the vehicle being worked on by the deceased apprentices took advantage of the incident and the confusion and left for Burkina Faso without paying for the services rendered by Master Seidu and his apprentices.