The tragic boat accident on the Volta Lake has claimed several lives after the vessel capsized between Sikakope and Mataiko in the Gonja East District of the Savannah Region.
According to the Ghana Maritime Authority (GMA), the incident occurred around 5:30 p.m. on Wednesday, April 8, as the boat journeyed from Yeji to Congo with 14 passengers on board.
Preliminary reports indicate the vessel ran into severe weather conditions, leading to the disaster.
Rescue teams, including personnel from the Ghana Navy, swiftly responded to the scene, managing to save five male passengers.
However, nine others were feared drowned.
By Thursday, April 9, seven bodies comprising two women and five children had been recovered.
Search operations remain ongoing for two missing persons, identified as a woman and a child, with divers and emergency responders continuing efforts on the lake.
The boat driver, Edmond Akli, said attempts were made to rescue passengers when the boat began to capsize.
“We tried to save them, but the wind was too strong, and many of the passengers panicked,” he recounted.
Edmond Akli, boat driver
DSP Gabriel Kofi Alorsey, the Salaga District Police Commander, described the incident as deeply distressing.
He revealed that one man lost three wives, five children, and his mother in the tragedy.
DSP Gabriel Kofi Alorsey, Salaga District Police Commander
He also noted that several passengers were initially unaccounted for, though all retrieved bodies have since been buried in accordance with local customs.
The Ghana Maritime Authority expressed grave concern over safety lapses, revealing that none of the passengers were wearing life jackets at the time of the accident.
The Authority emphasized that wearing life jackets is a mandatory legal requirement for all water transport and warned that failure to comply significantly increases the risk of fatalities in such incidents.
The GMA says it is collaborating with local authorities to complete search operations and launch a full investigation into the circumstances surrounding the disaster.
Officials have also pledged to intensify enforcement of safety regulations to prevent similar tragedies.
The incident adds to growing concerns over safety compliance on inland waterways, particularly on the Volta Lake, where boat transport remains a critical means of travel for many communities.
By 1960news.com
