Twenty students have died after trees fell on them at a popular waterfall in Ghana, emergency officials have said.

National fire service spokesman Prince Billy Anaglate said the group of high school students were swimming at the popular Kintampo waterfalls in the Brong-Ahafo region, when the "unusual incident" happened.

He said: "They were swimming in the river when there was a storm, a windy atmosphere that had uprooted some of the trees and they had fallen on some of them - those who were apparently swimming."

Image: The students were swimming in the waterfall. Pic: Pendream Media Consult

Eighteen students died at the scene while two others died in hospital, Mr Anaglate said.

He added that 11 more were receiving treatment, including one of the school administrators who was in charge of the trip.


Ghana's tourism minister Catherine Abelema Afeku said in a statement: "We extend our condolences to the families of the dead and pray for the injured."