The Minister of Ports, Harbours and Railways, Professor Christopher Ameyaw Ekumfi has blamed the lack of communication between the two trains that crashed at Tarkwa Huni Valley on Thursday.
Seven people died while 25 others were seriously injured in the crash.
The dead included a pregnant mother, while the police suspected the death toll could be higher.
Eye-witnesses account at the accident scene indicated that a Takoradi-bound goods train carrying bauxite and another from the opposite direction crashed into each other when the former derailed.
In an interview with Adom FM Friday morning, the sector minister said information is usually passed on between two points on a particular rail line to alert the commuting trains when necessary.
Prof. Ameyaw Ekumfi said, this basic requirement was flouted yesterday because “someone did not do his work” resulting in the deadly crash.
According to the sector minister, anytime the point-to-point information system breaks down, the workers rely on mobile phones to communicate. Unfortunately, he said, some of the workers sometimes leave their mobile phones elsewhere or allow the battery to run down making it impossible to reach them.
Professor Ekumfi conceded that the communication gadgets currently being used by the Ghana Railway Company are outmoded, but added that people have also been stealing the company’s cables.
He said investigations into the unfortunate accident had started. He was expected to visit some of the victims’ families.
Listen to Midday NewsAuthor: Yaa Serwah Ampaafo Brakatu (Adom FM)
