A fuel tanker travelling from Tema to Kumasi has overturned on the Accra-Kumasi highway, spilling petrol onto the road and forcing a complete closure of the major transport corridor, leaving commuters and freight vehicles stranded.

The Greater Accra Regional Commander of the Ghana National Fire Service confirmed the accident and urged motorists to stay away from the scene due to the risk of explosion.

“The road from Accra to Kumasi has been completely blocked. The only way you can access Kumasi now is either through Koforidua or through Kwabenya,” he said.

According to the commander, the first fire appliance was dispatched at 02:07 hours and arrived at 02:20 hours. Officers immediately called in police support to prevent bystanders from siphoning the leaking fuel — a dangerous practice common at such accidents in Ghana.

Fire crews began cooling the overturned tanker as a precaution. The commander explained that heat from the sun can cause petrol to expand, increasing the risk of ignition.

Rather than attempting to lift the tanker immediately, the fire service chose a cautious approach: transferring the fuel into an empty tanker brought from Tema.

The first pump proved inadequate and had to be replaced with a more powerful unit, with the Metropolitan Transport Authority (MTA) assisting in the operation.

The tanker driver reportedly told authorities he was approaching a stationary cement-laden truck without a warning triangle.

Attempting to avoid it, he collided with a passenger sprinter bus in the adjacent lane, causing the crash.

Skid marks at the scene indicated desperate braking, and although the driver appeared conscious, officials recommended a medical checkup due to the severity of the impact.

The commander criticised the owner and driver of the stationary cement truck for failing to place a warning triangle, saying it was the root cause of the accident. He urged police to pursue the truck driver.

He also warned the public against rushing to film accident scenes.

“If you have a camera, you can stand far and zoom, but coming closer to have contact with the falling vehicle will not be the best,” he said, highlighting the potential blast radius in the event of an explosion.

The commander noted that a vehicle fire had occurred just a few metres from the site the previous day, though it was not connected to the tanker crash.

The Ghana National Fire Service said it will remain on site until the fuel transfer is complete and the tanker is safely lifted.

Foam will be applied to the area during the lifting process to minimise the risk of sparks igniting residual fuel.

Traffic from Kumasi towards Accra was reportedly still moving at the time of the report, while drivers heading towards Kumasi were being diverted.