A devastating road crash on Monday morning, August 4, 2025 has claimed the lives of four young men at Manso Watreso in the Amansie South District of the Ashanti Region.
The accident occurred between 9 a.m. and 10 a.m. when two motorbikes, each carrying two male pillion riders, collided head-on at high speed, along the dusty and narrow Watreso road.
The violent impact caused both bikes to burst into flames, trapping the riders underneath the wreckage.
The tragedy has left the Manso Watreso community in mourning. Local leaders are calling for stricter enforcement of traffic regulations, particularly targeting commercial motorbike operators who are prevalent in the area.
An eyewitness who spoke to The Chronicle on condition of anonymity said the inferno made it impossible to rescue any of the victims, who were all burnt beyond recognition.
“The sound of the crash was very loud. When we got there everything was on fire. We couldn’t save them – the flames were too high. It was very sad,” recounted Kwame Manu, a local resident who witnessed the tragedy.
Shocked community members rushed to the scene and attempted to extinguish the fire with water and sand, but the intensity of the blaze thwarted all efforts.
Personnel from the Ghana Police Service and the Ghana National Fire Service later arrived at the scene to recover the bodies and manage traffic flow.
The charred remains of the victims were conveyed to the St. Martin’s Hospital morgue at Agroyesum for preservation and identification.
While the identities of the deceased have not yet been officially released, preliminary information suggests they were all young men from communities within the Manso area.
Initial investigations point to overspeeding and reckless riding as likely cause of the crash. The Amansie South District Police Command has launched a full probe into the incident.
“This is not the first time we have lost young lives on this stretch. We need the authorities to intensify road safety education and act decisively to prevent such needless deaths,” a community elder remarked.
The incident adds to the growing list of fatal motorbike-related crashes in rural Ghana, underscoring urgent concerns over road safety and enforcement gaps in underserved areas. The police have urged the public to remain calm as investigations continue.
Meanwhile, support is being extended to the grieving families by local residents and traditional authorities.
