Cape Coast-Ghana, May 10, GNA – The Central Regional Command of the Ghana National Fire Service (GNFS) has called on the public to desist from indiscriminate bush burning to protect ecological endowment of the country.
The call followed an early Monday morning road crash at Ekumfi-Edukuma near Apam where four vehicles ran into each other as a result of poor visibility from a thick smoke that emanated from road-shoulder bush burning.
Though there were no casualties, four vehicles traveling in different directions crashed into each other, some getting burnt in the process.
Divisional Officer III (DOIII) Abdul Wasiu Hudu, the Regional Public Relations Officer (PRO) of the Service told the Ghana News Agency that some eyewitnesses informed the Mfantseman GNFS, who rushed to the scene to salvage the situation.
According to him, a Toyota Highlander with registration number GS 9645-19 traveling towards Apam crashed into a Ford bus (E35) with registration number GE 3383-12 which was heading in the opposite direction.
He said the Highlander ran into the Ford vehicle over poor visibility due to heavy billows of smoke from the bush burning.
Shortly after the accident, he said a Mercedes Benz Sprinter bus with registration number GW 7271-12 together with an Acura vehicle with registration number GT 2364-15 which followed the Toyota Highlander ran into each other.
In the process, he said the Highlander veered off the road into the burning bush and caught fire.
The Service particularly cautioned hunters and farmers to desist from the wanton bush burning and flaming of combustible substances without lawful authority.
“The perennial careless burning of bush particularly along the Mallam-Mankessim-Cape Coast highway is a strain on efforts towards safeguarding the ecosystem to sustain human existence.
“Henceforth, people who contravene the law on burning will be vigorously pursued and dealt with ruthlessly in accordance to deter others”, the Regional PRO cautioned.
