(CNN) A freak accident at a popular waterfall in Ghana has killed at least 18 people, according to local authorities.

A huge tree appears to have fallen amid a brutal storm trapping swimmers at the base of Kintampo waterfalls in the country's Brong Ahafo region on Sunday afternoon, Kintampo District Police commander chief Desmond Owusu Boampong told CNN.

14 students from Wenchi Methodist Senior High School in Ghana are among the 18 people killed, Boampong added. The students were on an excursion to the popular spot at the time of the incident, another police spokesperson said.

Authorities said a further 22 individuals are currently being treated at a local hospital for injuries sustained in the accident.

Emergency teams -- comprised of both local Ghana police and the Ghana National Fire Service -- responded to the scene shortly after to rescue the trapped victims and aid the injured.

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