The Kintampo waterfalls tourist site in the Brong Ahafo Region has been closed down indefinitely, after Sunday’s incident that claimed the lives of about 18 revellers at the site.

This was contained in a statement issued by the Ministry of Tourism, Arts and Culture.

It explained that the closure is to enable thorough security and safety checks at the site.

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The statement also called on the Ghana Tourism Authority (GTA) to embark on a comprehensive safety audit of all major tourist sites in the country.

It also added that it will do all within its power to quicken its request to Parliament for the passage of a Legislative Instrument that will enable the GTA to regulate and certify these tourist sites.

Speaking on Accra-based Citi FM the Tourism Minister Catherine Ablema Afeku said she will start working on the LI immediately to prevent such occurrences in the future.

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“There needs to be an LI that we can regulate.The management and safety measures in tourist sites especially the ones that are being managed or co-managed by the assemblies, we want as many as we can, to go in the hands of the private sector because they are better positioned to handle some of these tourism sites and also it calls for a safety audit across the length and breadth of all tourist sites.”

The statement finally commended officials of the District Assembly, the medical staff of the Kintampo General Hospital, officials of the Police, Army, Fire Service, REGSEC and the Youth of Kintampo for their swift response to the disaster.

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Meanwhile, 15 dead bodies of the affected victims of the disaster have been retrieved by their families.

The tragic accident occurred on Sunday (March 19, 2017) when a rainstorm uprooted a tree which fell on the student revellers while they were swimming in the pond underneath the waterfall.