Five persons are reported to have burnt to ashes in an accident Friday night near Bono Manso, a town on the Techiman-Kintampo Highway in the Bono East Region.

A speeding passenger bus heading towards Techiman from the Kintampo end is said to have caught fire soon after colliding head-on with a trailer carrying beverages suspected to be alcoholic and headed in the opposite direction.

While the police say five persons were burnt to death – three on the bus and two on the trailer, including driver eyewitness accounts suggest the number could be higher.

Eyewitness told Adom News' Wiafe Akenten that the bus was attempting an overtaking when it crashed with the approaching trailer, exploding into balls of fire that engulfed both vehicles, consuming both in the process including what they alleged to be many passengers aboard the bus.

Assemblyman for the Bono Manso Electoral Area, Nabilla Francis Sayuub who spoke from the scene of the carnage said he was informed of the accident late Friday night and that only a handful (about four) of the passengers were rescued.

He was unsure where the bus was coming from or its destination.

The Member of Parliament for Nkoranza North, Joseph Kwasi Mensah, who also visited the scene of the accident, said he was informed about 30 people may have been burned to ashes. He appealed to drivers to be cautious and avoid speeding to preserve lives.