A cross-section of the mourners. INSET: Some of the caskets
Many people, including family members and friends who converged on Atwima-Amanfrom, near Agric Junction in the newly-created Kwadaso Municipality, to bid farewell to six people killed by flashfloods recently at Adagya in the Bosomtwe District of the Ashanti Region, wept uncontrollably.
The funeral service took place in the Kingdom Hall of the Jehovah’s Witnesses where the caskets containing the mortal remains of the victims were placed for people to pay their last respects.
Six people, including three members of a family, died in River Ankonim at Adagya after flashfloods from a heavy downpour swept away their Hyundai Avante saloon car recently.
The victims are George Wireko, 65; Mercy Wireko (his wife), 45; Okyere Wireko (son), 15; Akwasi Baah, 15; Christopher Asare, 38, a carpenter and one Justice.
They died instantly after the car on which they were travelling was carried away by the flashfloods into the river around 7:40 pm.
Father-in-law to Christopher Asare, Yaw Tawiah, said all the victims are Jehovah’s Witnesses.
The incident occurred when they were returning home after participating in a construction project for the church at Adagya New Site.
He told DAILY GUIDE that in an attempt to cross the river on the dilapidated bridge, Mr. Wireko’s car, which was following a 207 Bus, was swept away by the flashfloods into the river that had overflown its banks.
“Several attempts were made to rescue the victims, but the magnitude of the floodwaters frightened us and the fire officers. We, therefore, retreated momentarily until the floods receded before we resumed the rescue mission,” he narrated with tears.
He disclosed that the bodies of five of the victims were recovered by divers from the community after close to eight hours of search, while that of the sixth person was later recovered after libation had been poured.
On Saturday morning, caskets containing the mortal remains of the victims arrived from the St Michael Hospital morgue at Pramso.
They were buried after a requiem service which was attended by schoolmates of the children, Jehovah’s Witnesses, neighbours and colleagues.
“I just wish the deaths of my brother and parents were not real, but fiction,” daughter of the late George Wireko said tearfully.
It was a sentiment shared by many of the mourners who could not come to terms with their deaths.
The Ankonim River, which has three tributaries, according to residents, always overflows its banks anytime it rains.
From Ernest Kofi Adu, Kumasi