At least nine persons including a toddler and a pregnant woman have been confirmed dead with one person still missing when the boat they were travelling on sank in the Volta Lake on Wednesday, May 30, 2018.
The occupants of the boat were mostly traders who had come from far and near, particularly from Sene East distirct in the Brong-Ahafo Region to trade on the Krachi Market Day which fell on Wednesday and were returning when they met their death.
Krachi Market days attract traders and buyers who travel as far as from Techiman and Kumasi using the Volta Lake.
Speaking with Voltaonlinegh.com, the Krachi West District Chief Executive, Douglas Osei-Nti confirmed the incident but said detail information on the victims would be made available to the public after the Navy stationed in the area concludes its search and rescue operation.
According to him, a search party had been dispatched immediately the boat accident occurred which led to the retrieval of the bodies.
Mr. Osei-Nti stated that the incident that happened on the Sene East stretch of the Volta Lake had nothing to do with overloading or any bad practice but rather as a result of the boat hitting a dead a tree stump in the water.
“The lake has an unpredictable weather behaviour, it may be calm in Krachi and 30 minutes after setting off, you may encounter a storm deep on the lake.”
Mr. Divine Bosson, Volta Regional Coordinator of the National Disaster Management Organization (NADMO) said the accident happened near a village called Kpaleme in the Sene East District.
According to him, it occurred after a storm dragged the boat and landed it on a tree stump which caused the boat to sink.
Mr Bosson said six of the passengers have so far been admitted at the Krachi West Government Hospital and are responding to treatment while bodies of the deceased have been deposited at the hospital’s morgue.
He explained that, none of the boat occupants was in a life jacket, a reason for the high casualties recorded.
Meanwhile, Akwasi Aweyeh believed to be the owner of the boat who lost his daughter in the accident is said to have been arrested by the police and assisting in investigations, according to sources.
By: voltaonlinegh.com
