Seven people died late Monday when a Hyundai Grace minibus lost control and plunged into a valley on the mountainous Nkawkaw to Atibie road in the Eastern Region, the Ghana National Fire Service (GNFS) has confirmed.
The accident occurred at approximately 10:28 p.m. on April 27, with the vehicle bearing registration number GR 5660-18 traveling from Nkawkaw toward Atibie. Preliminary investigations point to brake failure as the cause, according to Deputy Regional GNFS spokesman Aaron Adu Ohemeng. He confirmed that six of the seven victims were female and one was male.
Emergency responders from the Nkawkaw and Mpraeso fire stations arrived at the scene by 10:49 p.m. following a distress call. Personnel from the Motor Traffic and Transport Department (MTTD) and the National Ambulance Service also responded, assisting with rescue, recovery operations, and traffic control.
Bodies of the deceased were deposited at the mortuary of a hospital in Nkawkaw, where survivors are also receiving treatment. Police have opened an investigation into the full circumstances of the crash.
The accident adds to a steady toll of road fatalities in 2026 on Ghana’s mountain roads and major highways. The National Road Safety Authority (NRSA) recorded 2,384 road traffic deaths and more than 15,000 injuries between January and November 2024, with mechanical failure consistently among the leading causes cited in fatal crash reports.
