Another boat capsize kills 15
A heartbreaking tragedy has struck northeastern Ghana after a boat capsized on Lake Volta, claiming the lives of 15 people, most of them children. Authorities confirmed the incident occurred on Saturday in the Krachi West District of the Oti Region.
In a statement issued on Sunday, the Ghana Maritime Authority (GMA) said that 11 of the victims were children between the ages of two and fourteen—five boys and six girls. The victims were among several passengers travelling from the community of Okuma to Bovime when their vessel overturned midway through the journey. The group was reportedly heading to a nearby market and some were returning from family visits.
According to the GMA, four adults survived the accident after being rescued by local fishermen who rushed to the scene. Maritime officials described the tragedy as “a critical and unacceptable breach of safety standards,” emphasizing that early investigations point to overloading as the primary cause of the accident.
A specialized team comprising naval officers and safety inspectors has since been dispatched to the site to investigate the circumstances surrounding the capsizing. Authorities say they are working to recover more details about the boat’s capacity, the number of passengers aboard, and whether safety gear such as life jackets were provided.
The GMA has also announced plans to form a high-level investigative committee in collaboration with the Ministry of Transport. The committee will review safety enforcement on the lake and introduce stricter monitoring of passenger limits and boat licensing. Officials further promised to roll out a continuous lakeside safety campaign aimed at preventing future disasters.
Boat accidents on Lake Volta are, sadly, not new. The lake—one of the world’s largest man-made reservoirs—has seen several deadly incidents over the years, often linked to poor safety practices, overloading, and hidden tree stumps beneath the water. In August, six passengers died in a similar mishap, and in May 2023, another 18 people were killed when a vessel struck a submerged tree trunk.
“The Authority remains resolute in finding the root causes of this disaster and ensuring that such a tragedy never happens again,” the GMA concluded.
Another boat capsize kills 15
