What is now known about the collision between a parked truck and a recently imported train.
What is now known about the collision between a parked truck and a recently imported train?
While the train was doing a test run on the Tema-Mpakadan route, a recently imported train collided with an incorrectly parked Hyundai vehicle.
The April 18, 2024, incident has dominated the headlines due to some significant consequences that were discovered hours later.
The Ghana Police Service and the Railways Development Ministry have released statements providing important updates on the incident thus far.
BastecOnline examines a few of the most significant updates to date.
Truck driver arrested by police
“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.”
A ministry statement attests to the incident:
The Diesel Multiple Unit (DMU) 001 train struck a stationary vehicle during the test run, according to a press release from the Ministry of Railways Development, which also confirmed the accident and stated that no one was hurt.
“On Thursday, April 18, 2024, around 12:10 p.m., an incident occurred around Km76+100 during the test. The DMU came upon a stationary vehicle that was positioned directly across the rail track as it approached the curve at km 76+100.
“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 also stated, “The DMU involved has been moved to the Workshop for further assessment and necessary repairs”.
How the mishap took place:
When the train was being prepared to operate the Tema-Mpakadan railway line, it crashed during a test run. The train had come from Poland around two weeks ago. Social media users posted pictures of the collision, which revealed significant damage to the train’s front end. Over a portion of the track, the train collided with an abandoned Hyundai vehicle. Social media users have also posted videos of the truck’s severely damaged and severed sections.
Users of social media respond
A picture of a Hyundai truck parked on a train track sparked an outcry from social media users. It is thought that the picture was shot before the collision.
Pro-government accounts and media outlets attacked the driver who is said to have parked the truck and vanished in a picture that became popular on social media.
Social media users’ thoughts were divided; some suggested that the driver’s actions were motivated by politics and accused him of acting with political malice. The official government account of how the catastrophe could not have been prevented is also being questioned by others.
