Two final year pupils of the Ekumfi Obidan Potwabin Basic School in the Central Region have died after they were struck by a speeding tipper truck while returning home from school.
The fatal accident occurred on Tuesday afternoon when three final year pupils were making their way home after attending voluntary lessons organised by the school.
The additional classes were arranged by the school authorities to help final year candidates continue their academic preparations despite the ongoing nationwide strike by pre tertiary teachers.
The lessons were intended to prevent the pupils from falling behind in their studies and to give them additional preparation ahead of their final examinations.
However, tragedy struck as the students were returning home.
The tipper truck, which was reportedly travelling at high speed, crashed into the pupils and ran over them.
One of the students died at the scene from the severity of the impact, while another succumbed to his injuries after being rushed to the Roman Catholic Hospital at Mankessim.
The third pupil suffered serious injuries and was receiving emergency treatment at the time of the report.
Deputy Chairman of the School Management Board, Emmanuel Ekow Arthur, confirmed the incident and said the deaths had plunged the school and the wider community into shock and mourning.
Mr Arthur explained that the voluntary lessons had been introduced specifically to ensure that final year pupils did not lose valuable instructional time because of the nationwide industrial action by teachers.
He described the deaths as a devastating loss to the families of the victims and the entire Obidan Potwabin community.
The incident has generated grief and anger among parents, teachers and residents, with calls growing for stronger measures to control the movement and speed of heavy duty vehicles through the community.
Residents say tipper trucks and other large commercial vehicles frequently travel at excessive speeds through the area, creating significant danger for schoolchildren, pedestrians and other road users.
They are therefore appealing to the Ekumfi District Assembly, the Ghana Police Service and the National Road Safety Authority to introduce urgent safety measures.
Among the measures being demanded are speed ramps, appropriate road signs and stronger enforcement of traffic regulations, particularly around schools and during periods when children are moving to and from classes.
The bodies of the two deceased pupils have been deposited at the morgue while police investigators work to establish the circumstances surrounding the collision.
It was not immediately clear whether the driver of the tipper truck had been arrested.
Police personnel were reported to have remained at the scene as investigations continued.
Meanwhile, academic activities at the Ekumfi Obidan Potwabin Basic School have been temporarily affected as pupils and teachers struggle to cope with the sudden loss of their colleagues.
