Three staff of the Juaso District Forestry Office were among five people who died in a motor accident, Sunday, on the outskirts of Juaso in the Ashanti Region.

The forest guards and two others died on the spot when a KIA Picanto taxi cab in which they were travelling collided head-on with a State Transport bus.

Driver of the cab, with registration AS 6720-17 is said to have attempted a wrongful overtaking of another truck, resulting in the tragedy on the Accra-Kumasi Highway.

The forestry guards have been identified as Denis Boamah, 32, Kennedy Okyere, also known as Kenya, 35 and Anim Bonsu Christopher -27.

The other victims were  Thomas Owusu, the cabbie and a 19-year old Senior High School graduate, Deborah Addai-Poku.

It took the intervention of the Fire Service to cut through the mangled cab to retrieve the bodies.

Passengers on board the STC bus who sustained minor injuries were treated and discharged at the Juaso Government Hospital.

Personal belongings as well as the mangled taxi cab remain at the scene of the accident during a visit.

Juaso District Commander, DSP Andrews Anyani tells Nhyira FM the accident occurred few meters after the cab had taken off.

"The taxi cab had picked its occupants just from Juaso Junction here heading towards Asankare and STC KIA Grandbird bus was also coming from Accra direction."

According to DSP Anyani, there was little the bus driver could do to save the situation.

"What we gathered was  that the taxi driver had done a wrong overtaking-there was a truck ahead of him and he did not actually watch well. He veered to the lane of the oncoming STC  bus and it was just impossible for the bus driver to save them," he added.

Meanwhile, red bands hang on the premises of  Juaso District of the Forestry Commission in memory of the deceased persons whose bodies have been deposited at the morgue.

Grieving colleagues were in red bands and clothes.