One Rescued as Tanker and KIA Rhino Collide on Buipe-Tamale Highway

A dramatic head-on collision between a fuel tanker and a KIA Rhino on the Buipe-Tamale highway in the Savannah Region left one person trapped beneath the tanker on Sunday, June 8, before being successfully rescued by fire service personnel.

The incident occurred at Lingbinkura, prompting an emergency response from the Ghana National Fire Service (GNFS). According to a statement issued by the Savannah Regional Public Relations Officer of the GNFS on Wednesday, the Buipe Fire Station received a distress call at approximately 9:54 a.m. from Station Officer II Mohammed Abubakari Sheriff reporting the crash.

A fire prevention and road extrication team, led by Leading Fireman Owusu Isaac, was dispatched within minutes aboard pickup vehicle FS 811, driven by Assistant Station Officer Ahmed Baki Kamara. The team reached the scene at 10:07 a.m., where they found a tanker with registration number GN 4904-17 had collided with a KIA Rhino bearing registration number AS 4243-25.

One individual was found trapped beneath the tanker as a result of the impact. Using a hydraulic spreader, fire officers successfully extricated the victim and handed him over to the police for further medical attention.

The tanker, which was travelling from Buipe towards Wa, had two occupants on board and was loaded with 54,000 litres of diesel at the time of the crash. The KIA Rhino was heading from Garu towards Kumasi with five people on board, transporting 19 cattle and six goats.

Preliminary investigations by the fire service attributed the cause of the accident to an overtaking manoeuvre by the driver of the KIA Rhino. The collision highlights the persistent dangers on the country’s intercity highways, where reckless overtaking continues to be a leading cause of fatal accidents.

The Transport Ministry’s recent push for stricter safety enforcement across Ghana’s transport network has drawn renewed attention to road safety challenges, particularly on major trunk roads connecting the northern regions to the south.

Authorities are expected to continue their investigations into the circumstances surrounding the crash. The Buipe-Tamale highway, a critical route linking the Savannah Region to the northern corridor, has seen multiple serious accidents in recent years, raising calls for improved road infrastructure and stricter enforcement of traffic regulations.

Image Source: MYJOYONLINE