A recent trend of buses and other vehicles catching fire in the middle of their journeys on highways has sparked concerns about passenger safety.
While investigations into each case reveal different details, a common thread runs through them all.
Poor maintenance and delayed emergency responses often turn what could be minor mechanical faults into full-blown infernos on the highways.
Experts say most bus fires start from mechanical failures such as faulty wiring, overheating engines, or neglected electrical systems.
When vehicle owners skip regular inspections, they unknowingly set the stage for tragedy, and the consequences are often devastating.
Several buses and fuel tankers have gone up in flames on major highways, leaving passengers stranded, traumatised, and sometimes counting heavy losses as their belongings are reduced to ashes.
In this report, The Ghana Report revisits some recent vehicle fire incidents recorded on Ghana’s highways.
- GNFS contains a fuel tanker inferno at Grupe
The Ghana National Fire Service (GNFS) on Sunday, October 5, 2025, swiftly responded to a fuel tanker fire at Grupe in the Savannah Region.
Firefighters from Sawla and Bole Fire Stations, led by duty officers, contained the fire after receiving a distress call at 1111hrs.
The fire was finally brought under control at 12:15 pm with the help of additional support from Bole.
The fuel tanker, with registration number GT-9305-25, was carrying petrol, which remained intact.
The cause of the fire is currently under investigation.
The swift response and actions of the firefighters prevented a potential disaster.
- Commercial bus catches fire on way to Asawinso
A commercial bus heading from Accra to Sefwi Asawinso on September 18, 2025, caught fire, leaving passengers shaken but unharmed.
The incident occurred around 7:50 a.m., involving a vehicle with registration number GE-8264-19.
Passengers on board said they first noticed smoke coming from the back of the bus and immediately called the driver’s attention.
Despite their warnings, the driver reportedly continued driving for several minutes before stopping.
He later attributed the fire to a torn fan belt, although he declined to speak on camera.
As flames quickly engulfed the vehicle, passengers scrambled to evacuate, managing to escape without injury. Unfortunately, several personal belongings were lost in the fire.
The Western North Regional Fire Commander, ACFO Philip Kudzo Amagnoh, revealed that the only operational fire tender dispatched to the scene broke down en route, leaving no immediate support to contain the blaze.
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- O.A bus catches fire at Nsawam
On Sunday, November 10, 2024, a bus belonging to OA Transport Services, travelling from Accra to Techiman, unexpectedly caught fire near Nsawam, a town along the Accra-Kumasi highway.
The incident resulted in passengers getting stranded and increased frustrations about the transport company’s response, particularly regarding the potential loss of personal belongings.
Reports indicate that the bus, which left Accra around 9 p.m., was filled with many passengers on an overnight journey towards Techiman in the Bono East Region.
Although the event was frightening, no casualties have been reported since all passengers successfully evacuated the vehicle.
- Benz catches fire at Anyaa
A newly acquired Mercedes-Benz with the registration number DV 7975 caught fire unexpectedly at Anyaa, Accra, on Sunday, May 19, 2024.
The vehicle unexpectedly burst into flames in the middle of the road, leaving the driver and passersby in shock.
Despite the swift response from good Samaritans, the fire was too intense to control.
The car was completely engulfed before emergency services could arrive, and people desperately tried to save it from the rapidly spreading fire.
The driver, although shaken by the incident, managed to escape unharmed.
- Passengers escape unhurt as STC bus catches fire at Asafo
A bus belonging to Intercity STC Coaches Limited caught fire on Friday, December 22, 2024, around the Asafo Interchange in Kumasi.
According to available information, the bus was transporting passengers from Accra to Kumasi when the incident occurred.
Sources say there were only 12 people on board the vehicle since the majority of the passengers had alighted.
Although the cause of the fire is yet to be established, the bus was heading to the Asafo Yard to park when the incident took place.
- School bus catches fire at Akatsi Agbedrafor junction
A bus carrying Akatsi Senior High Technical School athletes was completely burnt at Akatsi in the Volta Region.
There were no casualties or injuries in the incident that happened on Saturday.
The students participated in the 47th inter-zonal festival at Sogakpe and were returning to campus when their bus broke down at Akatsi Agbedrafor junction.
Fortunately, all the passengers were able to get off before the fire consumed the bus.
- Berry Ladies players escape death after bus catches fire at Suhum
Players of Ghana Women’s Premier League outfit Berry Ladies escaped death by a whisker after their team bus caught fire in 2023 at Suhum.
Berry Ladies have been preparing feverishly ahead of the start of the 2023/24 Women’s Premier League season as they seek to make an impact.
On Tuesday, the team embarked on a trip to Kyebi in the Eastern Region to continue their preparation for the new season.
Unfortunately, their team bus caught fire in Suhum on the Accra-Kumasi highway. Thankfully, occupants of the bus were unhurt.
- Over 40 passengers escape unhurt after bus catches fire
More than 40 passengers escaped unhurt after an O.A Zhongtong bus with registration number AS 8249-19 traveling from Tumu towards Accra caught fire.
The incident occurred on Saturday, February 5, 2021, at 5:30 am.
According to the 52-year-old driver of the vehicle, Anim Richmond, on reaching a section of the road at Akim Fisher near Asiakwa junction on the Accra-Kumasi Highway, he noticed that smoke was coming from underneath the bus.
He said he parked the vehicle on the shoulders of the road, but suddenly the bus was engulfed in flames and burnt beyond recognition.
Personnel of the Ghana National Fire Service from the Kibi Fire Station arrived at the scene to douse the fire.
- Ford transit catches fire on Techiman–Sunyani road
A Ford Transit vehicle with registration number BA-641-23 was engulfed in flames early Sunday at Faaman, along the busy Techiman–Sunyani road in the Bono-East region, prompting a swift emergency response from the Ghana National Fire Service (GNFS).
According to a statement posted on Facebook, the Techiman Fire Station received a distress call at exactly 12:03 hours.
A fire crew comprising six personnel, led by Lead Fireman Joseph Awuni, was immediately dispatched to the scene.
The team reportedly arrived within minutes and was able to bring the fire under control, successfully extinguishing the blaze before it could spread or cause further danger.
While the vehicle sustained significant damage, no injuries or fatalities were reported.
The cause of the fire remains unknown at this time, with investigations currently underway to determine the circumstances leading to the incident.
- Three School Children Burnt To Death With One Injured As Car Bursts Into Flames At Huu
In June 2023, three children were burnt to death after a commercial vehicle carting fuel for sale caught fire at Huu in the Amansie Central District of the Ashanti Region.
The children were aged 5, 6, and 7 years old.
The 207 Mercedes-Benz bus was transporting diesel and petrol to Edwenase in the same district with passengers on board.
The three children were among twelve pupils being transported to their home in Edwenase after their school bus developed a fault on the way.
Their teacher, who was escorting the students on the bus, pleaded with the bus driver to aid in transporting the children home.
But the bus caught fire along the way, burning the three children beyond recognition.
