Ghana’s president has offered his condolences to the families of victims of a freak accident at a popular waterfall, in which a tree fell and killed at least 18 people.
“I have learnt with great sadness [of] the unfortunate incident that occurred at Kintampo Waterfalls yesterday. My deepest condolences to the families of all those affected by this unfortunate and tragic incident,” President Nana Akufo-Addo tweeted Monday.
The tree, one of the largest in the area, fell during a storm Sunday at the waterfall in Kintampo, a popular tourist spot in Ghana’s central Brong-Ahafo region, about 414 kilometers (257 miles) north of the capital of Accra. It crushed people who were swimming in a pool at the base of the waterfall.
Another 20 people were being treated in hospitals, said Desmond Owusu Boampong, a local police commander. Most of the dead are students from the Wenchi Methodist Secondary School and the University of Energy and Natural Resources, he said.
Kintampo police superintendent Anane Appiah said an investigation had been launched but initial indications were that it was a “natural disaster.”
“It’s not the fault of anybody. We have to take some proactive measures so such occurrences cannot also come again,” he added.
