10 people feared dead, others severely injured in accident on Tamale-Buipe highway

Ten people are feared dead, and several others are in critical condition following a ghastly accident involving a Tamale-Kumasi bound VVIP bus with registration number AP 24-21 at Alipe, a community along the Tamale-Buipe Highway in the Savannah Region.

The injured were reportedly transported to nearby medical facilities for treatment. At the same time, the police confirmed that personnel from the Ghana National Fire Service were expected to tow the bus and assist in retrieving those trapped beneath it.

In an interview monitored by The Ghana Report on JoyNews, some survivors recounted that the bus had departed Tamale around 7:32 am on Thursday, amid heavy rains, en route to Kumasi.

Upon reaching Alipe, the driver reportedly attempted to overtake a second vehicle but veered off the road, causing the crash.

“We were fifteen missionaries in the bus going to Kumasi. The rains started just as we left Tamale.

“Our driver overtook one vehicle successfully, but when he attempted to pass a second one, the bus skidded off the road,” survivor Amatus Kargu narrated. “Three of our colleagues are still trapped under the bus. The rest were rushed to the hospital”.

Reports also indicate that earlier on the same Alipe stretch, another accident had been recorded involving a Toyota pick-up with registration number GV 123-21.

The driver, who was the sole occupant, said he was headed toward Buipe when he lost control of the vehicle, which veered off the road and overturned. He escaped unhurt.

“The spot where I lost control was the same place the VVIP bus veered off,” the driver remarked. “In my case, the sand and what seemed like diesel oil on the road made it slippery. The bus driver was on top speed, so the bus went further before crashing into the bush”.