71 dead as passenger bus crashes into lorry in Ghana

A bus crash in Ghana, Wednesday night, has left at least 71 people dead.

Early reports following the incident put the fatalty figure at 53.

But Medical Director of Ghana’s Kintampo government hospital Bismark Owusu Fosu has told the BBC that the death toll from the crash has now risen to 71.

Fifty-eight were dead on arrival at the hospital, 10 died after admission and three died in a nearby hospital, he said.

The mass transit bus was heading to Tamale from Kumasi when it ran into a lorry transporting tomatoes.

Investigators say that the bus was loaded with more than 70 passengers as against the maximum carry capacity of 63.

A transport official said the driver picked up other passengers on the way home from work because their vehicle had been involved in an accident, BBC reports..