Fact Finding Committee to investigate derailment of Accra bound train
The Minister of Railways Development, Mr Joe Ghartey, has set up a three member Fact Finding Committee to investigate the recent derailment of an Accra bound train on the Tema-Achimota-Accra Line.
A statement signed by Mr Joe Ghartey, the Minister of Railways Development, in Accra on Tuesday, said the Committee would be chaired by Mr Kwaku Agyanim-Boateng, the Deputy Minister of Railways Development.
The other Members are Mr Lord Quansah, the Director for Regulations and Assurance of the Ghana Railways Development Authority (GRDA) and Mr Michael Adjei Anyetei, the Deputy Managing Director of the Ghana Railways Company Limited (GRCL).
The Statement said the Terms of Reference of the Committee would include ascertaining the cause of the accident, determining the nature of the derailment, and making recommendations to forestall any future occurrences of such incidents.
They were also to make any other relevant recommendations, and particularly with regard to the status of the rail line and its future usage.
The Statement said the Committee would start its work from October 24, 2017, and submit its report to the Ministry on or before November 6, 2017.
It said in the meantime, the Accra to Tema shuttle has been suspended until further notice.
The Minister used the opportunity to provide some facts about the incident, saying that, the Accra bound Diesel Multiple Unit Train from Tema via Achimota derailed shortly after it had left the Achimota Station.
He said at the time of the incident some senior officials of the GRCL, including the Accra Area Manager, Mr Woode, were on board the train and immediately took control of the situation.
He said a team of officials from the Ministry of Railways Development, the GRCL, and the GRDA, led by the Deputy Minister, Mr Agyenim-Boateng, immediately rushed to the scene of the derailment, and had since ensured that the injured and affected persons were treated and discharged.
Mr Ghartey said the Ministry would bear the cost of all the medical bills of the injured person, adding that “we are monitoring the situation and we thank the Achimota Hospital for its assistance”.
He however laid emphasis on the fact that the incident did not occur on the Accra-Nsawam Line as was being reported by some press houses, since that route had been closed since September 2017 on which rehabilitation works had even commenced in earnest.
Source: GNA