Four more individuals have tragically lost their lives following the brutal attack and burning of a bus in Walewale on Friday, February 14.
Among the deceased are one Burkinabe and three Togolese nationals who sustained gunshot wounds during the assault. One victim was burned beyond recognition but was later identified on the morning of Saturday, February 15.
The ill-fated bus, bearing registration number GR 7501-21, departed from the ADT station at Pulukoom in the Pusiga District but experienced a mechanical failure near Loagri, close to a police checkpoint.
On the day of the incident, the driver traveled to Tamale in search of a mechanic, leaving the vehicle under the supervision of the police, the bus conductor, and passengers.
Eyewitness accounts reveal that armed assailants stormed the scene, indiscriminately firing at passengers and security personnel, forcing them to seek refuge. The attackers proceeded to set the bus ablaze.
Initially, three people, including a toddler, were confirmed dead in the fire. Another body was discovered in the burnt wreckage the following morning, increasing the casualties. Additionally, one of the injured victims receiving treatment at Walewale Hospital succumbed to injuries later that day.
By the early hours of Sunday, February 16, two more victims, who had been transferred to the Tamale Teaching Hospital, also passed away, bringing the total death toll to seven.
All the deceased have been identified as Burkinabe and Togolese nationals.