One person has been reported dead while 50 others are missing when a boat ferrying them on the Black Volta River capsized at Dorkorchina in the Savannah Region. The victims were said to be travelling from Dorkorchina, an over-bank community in the Bole District to Banda Ahenkro in the Bono East Region when the incident occurred last Saturday.
Two other victims who survived the accident reportedly swam to safety and are currently in their respective homes at Dorkorchina. The Bole District Director of the National Disaster Management Organisation (NADMO), Kipo Sulemana, who confirmed the incident to the Daily Graphic yesterday, said preliminary investigations revealed that the boat, which was overloaded with passengers and goods, hit a tree stump in the river and capsized.
He indicated that officials of NADMO and the local folks were searching for the missing people. Mr Sulemana further explained that the community where the incident happened was inaccessible, which made it difficult for the victims to be spotted and rescued. Meanwhile, the Daily Graphic gathered that none of the passengers on the boat was wearing a life jacket.
Boat and canoe disasters are rampant on the Volta Lake across the country. Most operators of the canoes and boats do not provide life jackets for passengers to ensure their safety during emergencies. The situation is even made more precarious with the constant overloading of the canoes with passengers, goods and motorbikes.
By: Mohammed Fugu
