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Fifteen people, mostly children, have died after a boat capsized on Lake Volta in northeastern Ghana, maritime officials confirmed on Sunday.
According to a statement from the Ghana Maritime Authority (GMA), “Tragically, 11 of the deceased were children between the ages of two and 14 years (five males and six females)” in the accident, which occurred on Saturday in the Krachi West District of the Oti Region.
The victims, aged up to 64, were travelling from Okuma to Bovime when their vessel overturned. Four adults managed to survive the disaster, the GMA said, describing the incident as “a critical and unacceptable breach of safety standards.”
Preliminary investigations indicate that the boat was overloaded, officials added. A specialised team, including naval personnel, has been deployed to determine the precise cause of the tragedy.
The maritime authority said it plans to establish a high-level investigation committee with the transport ministry and will also launch “a sustained lakeside safety enforcement operation” to ensure boats adhere to passenger and life jacket regulations.
Boat accidents are a recurring tragedy on Lake Volta, often linked to overloading and collisions with submerged tree stumps. In August, six people died in a similar mishap, while in May 2023, 18 passengers were killed after their vessel struck a submerged tree.
The GMA vowed to take stronger preventive action, saying it “remains resolute in unravelling the root causes of this disaster and implementing measures to ensure that no such tragedy ever occurs again.”
