At least eight people are feared dead, with several others critically injured, following a violent collision between a loaded tipper truck and a Sprinter passenger bus at the Ofankor Barrier on the Accra–Kumasi Highway early Thursday morning.
The crash, which occurred around 5:30 AM, left the Sprinter bus severely mangled, with its chassis twisted and passengers trapped beneath a tangle of shattered glass and deformed metal. A loud explosion-like sound is said to have preceded the impact, waking nearby residents and traders who rushed to the scene.
Emergency responders from the Ghana National Fire Service (GNFS), the National Ambulance Service, and the Motor Traffic and Transport Department (MTTD) of the Ghana Police Service were immediately dispatched. ADO1 Alex King Nartey of the GNFS confirmed that rescue crews are currently working against time to extricate victims from the wreckage. “The situation remains volatile, as we are dealing with heavy machinery and trapped individuals,” he stated. “We are doing our utmost to reach all survivors.”
Among the evacuated casualties, a female passenger whose legs were reportedly severed in the collision was rushed to the Korle Bu Teaching Hospital in critical condition. Unconfirmed eyewitness accounts suggest the truck, which was transporting construction materials, may have lost its brakes while approaching the barrier, though authorities have yet to officially determine the cause of the accident.
The fatal incident has brought traffic to a grinding halt on the capital’s busiest highway. To ease congestion, the GNFS has advised motorists travelling from Pokuase and Amasaman towards Ofankor and Accra to divert to the outer lane and approach the area with extreme caution. “We plead with road users to give way to emergency responders,” ADO1 Nartey added.
Background and Context
The Ofankor Barrier, a major toll checkpoint and transit hub, is notorious for heavy vehicle traffic. It serves as a critical junction linking Accra to Kumasi and the northern regions, making it a high-risk corridor for road accidents. The Ghana National Road Safety Authority (NRSA) has repeatedly flagged this stretch for speeding violations and driver fatigue, particularly among commercial passenger vehicles and heavy-duty trucks which often ply the route at night and early dawn.
Thursday’s tragedy adds to a grim statistic of road fatalities in Ghana, where over 2,000 lives are lost annually to road crashes, according to NRSA data. The government and road safety advocates have long called for the installation of speed cameras, improved road signage, and mandatory rest periods for long-haul drivers to curb such disasters.
The National Disaster Management Organisation (NADMO) has also dispatched a team to coordinate with medical facilities and offer psychological support to families of the victims. Meanwhile, the MTTD has opened an investigation into the accident, and the final casualty count is expected to be confirmed by the afternoon as rescue and clearance operations continue.
Motorists are advised to remain patient and follow the directives of traffic police as the highway gradually reopens. Further updates will be provided as more information becomes available.
