Regional News of Tuesday, 15 March 2005

Source: GNA

Landslide blocks Kwahu-Tafo-Adawso Road

Nkawkaw, March 15, GNA - The entire Afram Plains District and part of the Kwahu South District have been cut off from the rest of the country as a result of a landslide at Kam, a village near Pitiku junction, following a heavy downpour on Tuesday.

The only alternative means to get to the Afram Plains portion of the Eastern Region would be by a pontoon from Kpando Torkor in the Volta Region to Agordeke and it can take over two hours to cross this portion of the Volta Lake.

Mr Kwasi Michael, a driver of a 33-seater Benz bus who was the first to get to the scene from Nkawkaw, said the debris made up of huge rocks, stones, gravels and trees had blocked the road.

He said passengers at both ends have to walk through the bush for a distance of about one kilometre to join another vehicle at either end of the debris.

Mr Raymond Osafo Djan, the Kwahu South District Chief Executive, said he had visited the scene and was travelling to Accra to inform the Minister of Road Transport.

Mr Kwaku Manu, the Vice Chairman of the Nkawkaw-Adawso-Donkorkrom branch of the Ghana Private Road Transport Union (GPRTU), appealed to the government to ensure early clearance of the debris to facilitate the evacuation of large quantity of foodstuffs and fish to the marketing centres.

He said the first landslide occurred in the area occurred in 1972.