Over 30 passengers escaped death by a whisker after the Yutong bus they were traveling on from Takoradi to Kumasi burst into flames at Assin Kyekyewere in the Central Region.
The incident occurred on Thursday, April 13, 2023, around 2:30 am on the Cape Coast-Assin Fosu Highway.
According to the passengers, they noticed smoke emanating from the rear of the bus upon getting to a section of the highway.
This prompted the driver to park by the shoulder of the road. Upon investigation, they realized that the fire was from the engine.
However, in an attempt to douse the fire with an extinguisher, the bus suddenly got engulfed in flames.
Although all the passengers escaped unhurt, properties such as laptops, mobile phones, money, and traveling bags worth thousands of Ghana Cedis were consumed by the fire.
A call was placed to the Abura Dunkwa fire station but by the time the officers got there, the vehicle was beyond salvage.
According to the District Fire Officer of Abura Dunkwa, DOIII Wisdom Yao Gogovi, this was due to the long distance between the station and the scene.
Meanwhile, he used the opportunity to advise drivers to acquire appropriate weight and functioning fire extinguishers and keep them within reach for quick access in case of a fire threat.
He said drivers who found themselves in such fire emergencies should not fully open the vehicle’s bonnet since oxygen could enter the fire source to make the situation worse.