A Prison officer has met his untimely death when he was assisting in the rescue of flood victims washed away by the floodwater.

The incident happened along the Cape Coast-Elmina Highway in the Komenda Edina Eguafo Abraim Municipality of the Central Region on Saturday morning, June 18, 2022.

The officer in question, whose name has not yet been revealed, was part of over 30 prison officers from the Ankaful Prison who had been deployed to the area to rescue residents who had been inundated with floodwater.

The prison officers were retrieving materials being washed away from the rooms of the residents when the officer was swept away.

The body of the officer was yet to be retrieved.

The Central Regional NADMO Director, Joe Donkor, who confirmed the incident, said that efforts were underway to retrieve the body of the officer.

Meanwhile, in another report, road users have been left stranded following the collapse of the road linking Cape Coast to Twifo Praso in the Central Region.

A bridge on the road that passes over a river known as Surowi collapsed, causing the road to split into two halves.

Road users were seen in a video circulating online being stranded on both ends of the road while screaming.

Some residents of the area said that the bridge collapsed because the river Surowi had overflowed its bank.

The bridge serves commuters from Cape Coast to Jukwa and also from Dunkwa-On-Offin, but its collapse means the beneficiary communities have been cut off from each other.

It is reported that some tourists who were heading to the Kakum National Park to enjoy their weekend had to return to their various destinations due to the incident.

Also affected by the flood was the building of the Axim Bank CEO, which is said to be near the collapsed bridge.

Vehicles that were parked on the compound of the house were washed away by the rapidly flowing flood water.

Aside from the Cape Coast to Twifo Praso road, the road linking Cape Coast to Ankaful has also suffered from the flooding, leaving residents stranded.

The National Disaster Management Organization (NADMO) and the Ghana Highway Authority were reported to have gone to the affected areas to assess the extent of damage caused by the flooding and then find remedies.

It is feared that the situation might get worse if more rain falls.

Meanwhile, the Ghana Highways Authority has assured that work is ongoing to fix the Cape Coast-Twifo Praso road.

– BY Daniel Bampoe