Residents of Assin Kwafokrom in the Central Region have paid a final tribute to two young pupils of Alice Elite Academy who lost their lives in a fatal school bus accident earlier this month.

The emotional burial ceremony drew hundreds of mourners, including family members, classmates, teachers and community members, who gathered to honour the memory of the children.

The tragedy occurred on June 2 when a school bus transporting pupils from Alice Elite Academy at Assin Edubiase reportedly lost control and plunged into the Kotwea River along the Assin Adubiase–Homaho road.

The Mercedes-Benz Sprinter bus was carrying more than 40 pupils at the time of the incident. Two children, a boy and a girl aged between three and five years, were confirmed dead.

Scenes of grief dominated the funeral grounds as parents, relatives and sympathisers struggled to come to terms with the loss.

Many mourners were seen in tears while schoolchildren, dressed in their uniforms, joined teachers and staff to pay their last respects to their departed colleagues.

Some residents described the incident as heartbreaking and said its impact continues to be felt across the community.

“I panic whenever I wake up. My child was very close to one of the deceased. He wakes up every morning asking of his friend,” one resident told the media.

Community leaders used the occasion to call for stricter enforcement of road safety regulations, particularly for vehicles transporting schoolchildren, to help prevent similar tragedies in the future.

Meanwhile, the driver of the bus, 41-year-old Charles Aidoo, has been remanded into police custody after being charged with careless and inconsiderate driving and is expected to return to court on June 12.

The proprietor of the school, Madam Alice, who was also arrested in connection with the accident, has been granted police enquiry bail on health grounds and faces a negligence charge.

Authorities say all injured pupils have received treatment and have since been discharged from hospital.