The unfortunate incident occurred on the morning of Saturday, May 17, 2025, on the Manso-Kwame Atta to Cape Coast road.

The deceased rider, identified only as Nasiru, died on the spot, while the passenger, Amosi, popularly known as UB40, sustained severe injuries and was rushed to the St. Francis Xavier Hospital in Assin Fosu.

He was, however, pronounced dead shortly after admission.

The bodies have since been deposited at the hospital morgue for preservation.

An eyewitness, Theophilus Awarty, who spoke to Radio Fosu/Adom News, narrated that a private car driver attempted a U-turn on a sharp curve just as the okada rider approached at high speed.

Nasiru collided with the vehicle and was thrown off his bike. The impact caused him to hit his head on the road, resulting in his instant death.

Theophilus noted that this accident is one of several fatal incidents in recent months and expressed concern over the growing danger posed by commercial motorbike operations.

He called for urgent action from authorities to regulate the activities of Okada riders to prevent further loss of lives.

Some 165 Indonesians are among the dead, CNN Indonesia reported, citing the country’s Consulate General’s Hajj Management Office in Saudi Arabia. Additionally, at least 41 Jordanians, 35 Tunisians and 11 Iranians have died, according to authorities in each country.

A further 22 Jordanians are missing and 26 Iranians have been hospitalized, the Iranian Red Crescent said Wednesday, according to Iran’s semi-official Tasnim news agency.

Some of the Iranians died due to heatstroke while others had underlying conditions, the Iranian Red Crescent said.

The death toll is likely to rise, as Saudi Arabia and Egypt have yet to release official figures. Additionally, the governments are only aware of pilgrims who have registered and traveled to Mecca as part of their country’s quota – more deaths are feared among unregistered pilgrims.

The Saudi government said on Monday that more than 2,700 people had been treated for heatstroke. Meanwhile, hundreds of people have taken to social media to post about their loved ones being unaccounted for.

More than 1.8 million people are taking part in this year’s Hajj, one of the world’s largest religious gatherings, according to the Saudi General Authority for Statistics.

While deaths among pilgrims are not uncommon (there were more than 200 last year), this year’s gathering is being held amid particularly high temperatures.

Hajj season changes every year according to the Islamic calendar and this year it fell in June, one of the hottest months in the kingdom.

On Monday, Saudi Arabia advised pilgrims against performing the “stoning of the devil” ritual between certain hours after temperatures reached an extreme 49 degrees Celsius (120 degrees Fahrenheit).

Hajj officials have asked pilgrims to carry umbrellas and stay hydrated amid the harsh conditions while the Saudi army has deployed more than 1,600 personnel with medical units specifically for heatstroke and 30 rapid response teams. Another 5,000 health and first aid volunteers are taking part.

Performing Hajj is one of the five pillars of Islam, which requires every Muslim who is physically and financially able to make the journey to the holy city of Mecca at least once in his or her life.

The pilgrimage includes numerous detailed rituals including wearing a special garment that symbolizes human equality and unity before God, a circular, counter-clockwise procession around the cube-shaped Kaaba building, and the symbolic stoning of evil

A source of prestige and revenue

The Hajj is a source of prestige for Saudi Arabia’s king, who holds the title of Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques as the guardian of Islam’s holiest sites. But the pilgrimage is also a significant source of revenue for the Saudi economy.

Soon after King Salman bin Abdulaziz took power in 2015, Saudi Arabia launched a $21 billion project to expand the Grand Mosque in Mecca to accommodate 300,000 additional worshippers. A year later, then Deputy Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman identified the pilgrimage as a key component of a plan to diversify the Saudi economy by 2030.

Experts say that with oil sales generating close to a billion dollars a day for the kingdom, the pilgrimage’s economic benefit is marginal by comparison. But its great, untapped potential could bring significant riches to the kingdom in the long term.

Pilgrimage revenues were forecast to average about $30 billion a year and create 100,000 jobs for Saudis when the kingdom attracted around 21 million worshippers annually during the 10-day Hajj as well as the yearlong Umrah pilgrimage, according to official data cited by Reuters. The government is targeting 30 million pilgrims by 2030.

Benjamin Schreiber was sentenced to life in prison without parole in 1997 after being convicted of first-degree murder. In March 2015, he developed large kidney stones that led to septic poisoning, according to court documents.

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He eventually fell unconscious in his cell and was taken to a local hospital, where he was resuscitated five separate times, the documents say.

According to the Iowa Court of Appeals, Schreiber “claims he momentarily died at the hospital, thereby fulfilling his ‘life’ sentence … Because his sentence has been fulfilled, he argues, he is imprisoned illegally and should be immediately released.”

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A district court previously denied Schreiber’s motion. And on Wednesday, the Iowa Court of Appeals upheld the lower court’s decision.

In its opinion, the appeals court said a “plain reading” of Iowa law says defendants guilty of a class A felony “must spend the rest of their natural life in prison, regardless of how long that period of time ends up being or any events occurring before the defendant’s life ends.”

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“Schreiber is either alive, in which case he must remain in prison,” Judge Amanda Potterfield wrote, “or he is dead, in which case this appeal is moot.”

An attorney for Schreiber did not immediately respond to requests for comment Friday morning. It’s unclear whether Schreiber plans to take the case to a higher court.

Source: CNN

Residents of Doryumu and Kordiabe have vowed to resist with their lives attempts by authorities to demolish their houses as part of a railway project.

The two communities are among places affected by the 97 km Tema to Mpakadan railway project.

According to the affected residents, no agreement had been reached so far in the compensation package due them.

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They are, therefore, warning the Ghana Railway Development Authority, Shai Osudoku District Assembly among others not to use armed security personnel to carry out any demolition exercise.

“No amount of threats and force will cause us to change our stance. How can you just demolish houses if meetings between parties are inconclusive?” the angry residents asked.

Apart from houses which will be pulled down, residents complained of serious flooding as waterways and access routes are blocked.

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“It’s an eyesore anytime it rains. Was the project intended to better our lives or worsen it?” they asked.

They indicated that the Ghana Railway Development Authority notified residents of the project in 2017 and assured them of compensation for losses.

According to them, no compensation package has been paid, hence threats to use force to demolish about 10 houses for the project are condemnable.

In an interview with Adom News, the residents said they will not allow their toil to dissipate in just a day.

Meanwhile, Chief Executive Officer for the Ghana Railway Development Authority, Richard Dombo is allaying fears of the residents.

He said the Authority will prefer to conclude community engagements than resort to brute force despite all the legal backing.

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“Inasmuch as we have all the legal backing, we cannot just go and demolish people’s houses if we have not concluded on a package for them,” he said.

He added that evaluation done in the area is yet to be approved by the Board of Lands Commission, hence no demolition had been sanctioned.

“Though the project, which is to be completed in June 2020, is delaying, we are waiting for the Board to approve the evaluation before we take any action. Compensation for farmers has been approved and we know these affected residents will soon be sorted out,” he assured. 

Source: Adomonline.com | Adom News | Kwame Yankah

But Abdul [not real name] a mortuary man with one of Ghana’s premier hospitals in Accra disagrees with this assertion and explained exclusively to MyNewsGh.com why he thinks otherwise.

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“The young ones die a lot these days especially the young boys. Those from age 15 and above mostly teenagers. I become traumatized preparing such teenagers for preservation. It is a very pathetic situation to see someone who is just about to start life die prematurely. The kind of lifestyles of these youth is the cause of these deaths. Some of them in their quest to get rich fast, others as a result of promiscuous lifestyles, snatching of people’s wives and so many unhealthy habits cause these deaths”, he revealed.

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According to Abdul, some of the dead bodies before they are embalmed are seen wearing smiling faces with instances of others frowning adding that he has never seen any dead body wake up from the morgue.

“Once someone is dead he/she is dead. I sleep comfortably here almost all the time and I have never seen a ghost. I wake up occasionally if I am called to receive a dead body or they are taking one away for burial.

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Those who come to bath and prepare the bodies for burial sometimes spend much of their time here and nothing happens. I am experienced in this business and nowhere have I seen a dead body wake up so I am not scared at all”, he explained.

One of the victims died while boarding the aircraft, the second person passed on after observing the rituals in Mecca while the third pilgrim died at a medical facility.

The deceased, who are yet to be identified, were all buried in Mecca per Islamic customs.

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Briefing

The Chairman of the Hajj Board, Sheikh I.C Quaye, disclosed this at a media briefing upon the arrival of 109 pilgrims from Mecca at the Kotoka International Airport last Wednesday.

They were welcomed by the Deputy Minister of Interior, Mr Henry Quartey, and other Islamic clerics.

In all, a total of 5,700 Ghanaian pilgrims performed this year’s Hajj.

Muslims, who can afford and are capable, are enjoined to undertake the annual pilgrimage to the Holy City of Mecca at least once in their life where they pray for Allah’s forgiveness, continuous protection, peace and prosperity.

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Sheikh Quaye expressed gratitude to Allah for their safe arrival and expressed optimism that Allah would answer their prayers to improve on their lives and also make Ghana great.

Casualties

While explaining the circumstances that led to the death of the three, Sheikh Quaye described their death as natural which he said was a blessing to their souls according to the principles and beliefs of Islam.

The chairman described this year’s Hajj pilgrimage as one of the best organised.

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Sheikh Quaye said apart from ensuring the security and safety of the pilgrims, they were also provided with healthy meals.

The Vice-President, Dr Mahamudu Bawumia, and his wife, Mrs Samira Bawumia, also performed the Hajj.

Akos, was believed to be carrying a four-month old pregnancy, Rainbow Radio’s Abdul Malik Anokye has reported.

The deceased, according to sources, used a substance suspected to be weedicide.

He said mother of deceased declined to take responsibility of the girl and so she used the chemical to abort the pregnancy.

Meanwhile, the police has declared the boy who allegedly impregnated the deceased wanted.