Passengers aboard a VIP bus travelling from Kumasi to Sunyani narrowly escaped injury after the vehicle was completely destroyed by fire at Abuakwa in the Atwima Nwabiagya South Municipality of the Ashanti Region.
Eyewitnesses said the bus began emitting smoke shortly after leaving its station in Kumasi, raising concerns among passengers as it continued towards Sunyani.
The situation reportedly worsened when the vehicle reached the Abuakwa stretch of the Kumasi-Sunyani road, forcing passengers to quickly evacuate.
Within minutes of the evacuation, the bus was engulfed in flames.
An eyewitness, Ofori Boateng, said the cause of the fire had not yet been established, although there were suspicions that the engine might have overheated.
“When the vehicle started smoking, within less than five minutes, the whole bus was engulfed in flames,” he said.
All the passengers managed to escape before the fire spread through the vehicle, with no casualties recorded.
However, the bus was completely destroyed along with personal belongings reportedly left behind by some passengers during the emergency evacuation.
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Personnel from the Ghana National Fire Service in the Atwima Nwabiagya South Municipality responded to the incident and battled the blaze, but the vehicle had already suffered extensive damage.
The incident also caused heavy traffic along the Abuakwa stretch of the Kumasi-Sunyani road.
Police officers were subsequently deployed to manage the situation and ease congestion.
