The Kintampo Waterfalls have been closed to the public, Tourism Minister, Catherine Afeku has said.
The decision to close down the falls, she said was taken after a close consultation with the Vice President, REGSEC, NADMO and other stakeholders.
“We have closed down the Kintampo Waterfalls…there will be safety audit at the waterfalls and other tourism sites where these natural disasters will likely occur…,” she said on Adom FM’s Morning Show, ‘Dwaso Nsem’ Tuesday.
The closure of the waterfalls comes two days after up to 20 students who were on an educational trip to the tourist site perished during a rainstorm.
Several others were also injured in the process and are on admission at various hospitals in the Brong Ahafo region. Those in critical conditions have been transferred to the Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital in Kumasi.
The students were from the Wenchi Methodist Senior High School and University of Energy and Renewable Resources in Sunyani.
Vice President, Dr Mahamudu Bawumia, Tourism Minister, Catherine Afeku, National Disaster Management Organisation (NADMO) Coordinator and several persons from the government paid a visit to the Kintampo township and also to the family houses of the victims.
Families of the dead were assisted with an amount of GHC2,000 each while the injured were also assisted with a GHC1,000 for medications.
Read more: Bereaved families to receive GH¢2000
The General Overseer of God’s Crown Chapel in Kumasi, Prophet Reynolds Oduro Gyebi said God revealed to him that disaster would struck at the tourism site and hence called on persons seeking to visit the location last weekend to cancel their trips.
A video of Prophet Reynolds Oduro Gyebi prophesying that there was going to be a tragedy at the Kintampo Waterfall went viral on social and mainstream media after the accident.
Speaking on Asempa FM’s Ekosii Sen Programme on Monday, he said more disasters are waiting to happen in the country if the government fails to declare a national day of fasting and prayer.
“What happened in Kintampo is something small, something big is about to happen in Ghana if we fail to pray…it is true that many horrible things would happen this year and I prophesied this on 24th October, 2016…,” he revealed.
Read More: Declare national day of fasting and prayers to avert more disasters – Prophet
Source: Adomonline.com | KWAKU NTI | nanakwakunti@gmail.com | @NanaKwakuNti