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A Metro Mass Transit (MMT) Bus with registration number GE 8303-12 on Saturday caught fire while transporting passengers from Kumasi in the Ashanti Region to Bawku in the Upper East Region.

The fire started when the bus got to Kobore in the Bawku West District near the White Volta on the Bolgatanga- Bawku road, but the passengers managed to escape unhurt leaving behind their belongings, which were destroyed.

Most of the passengers, made up of businesspeople and delegates of the National Democratic Congress, travelling home to participate in the recent primaries, stood helpless while the flames engulfed their properties.

Mr Awini Abugri, an eyewitness, who spoke to the Ghana News Agency (GNA) at Kobore, said the bus overtook the car in which he was travelling and after a few meters the bus packed on the side of the road with smoke coming out of the engine and then bursting into flames.

According to the Mr Abugri all passengers on board, including the driver were saved by personnel of Ghana National Fire Service (GNFS).

Mr George Akanvoe, a Leading Fire Officer of the Ghana National Fire Service (GNFS) at zebilla, in the Bawku West District, told the GNA that the station received a distress call from an unknown person alerting them of the fire, so they mobilized to the scene and managed to put out the fire.

Mr Akanvoe said before the team got to the scene the bus was in flames but they were able to rescue the passengers who could not come down from the bus quickly.

He said the driver disclosed to him that he realized that his seat was getting hotter so he stopped to check the cause and suddenly saw smoke coming out of the engine and bursting into flames.

The leading Fire Officer called on drivers to keep fire extinguishers in their vehicles and also establish proper contacts with fire stations in every district to prevent unforeseen incidents.