16 passengers escape death as moving bus catches fire on Bole-Sawla highway (Photos)

Sixteen passengers travelling from Kumasi to Wa narrowly escaped death after the Yutong bus they were travelling on caught fire at Gbogdaa, a farming community along the Bole-Sawla highway in the Savannah Region.

The incident occurred on Sunday, October 4, 2026, destroying thousands of properties and goods belonging to passengers on board.

According to some of the passengers, they first detected the smell of fuel from the vehicle before it reached Gbogdaa and Mankuma in the Bole District.

They said the bus subsequently overheated, prompting the driver to stop and inspect the vehicle.

The situation, however, quickly escalated as the bus caught fire, destroying the passengers’ belongings and other goods.

All 16 passengers managed to escape from the vehicle unharmed, while personnel from the Sawla Fire Station arrived to help put out the fire.

No deaths or injuries have been reported.

The incident has also raised concerns about firefighting capacity in the Bole District, as the Bole Fire Service tender has reportedly been out of commission for some time.

The district has consequently had to rely on the Sawla fire tender during emergencies.