The Ghana Maritime Authority (GMA) has reported a tragic boat accident on the Volta Lake near Kete Krachi, which took place on Saturday, October 11, 2025, and claimed 15 lives. Initial investigations by the GMA reveal that the boat was severely overloaded, exceeding its safe carrying capacity. Among the victims, 11 were children aged between two and 14 years old—comprising five boys and six girls—while the remaining four were adults: three women and one man, aged 18 to 64.
Four other adults survived the incident. Authorities have transferred the bodies of 12 victims to the mortuaries at Kete Krachi and Worawora Government Hospitals, while the remaining three children have already been buried. The accident occurred around 1:30 PM as the boat, carrying passengers returning from a funeral at Okuma to Bovime in the Krachi West District of the Oti Region, capsized.
Preliminary reports, according to the GMA, indicate that the boat was grossly overloaded beyond its safe operational capacity. The Ghana Maritime Authority, in a statement dated October 12, 2025, issued on Sunday evening, said it views the incident as a “critical and unacceptable breach of safety standards and is committed to full transparency and decisive corrective action.
It said an investigative team has been deployed, comprising maritime safety inspectors and personnel from the Navy Task Force in Dambai to the scene. The team’s mandate is to establish the precise cause of the accident, identify any violations of safety regulations, and ensure that all responsible parties are held fully accountable under the law.
Again, it said GMA will immediately constitute a high-level Casualty Investigations Committee to undertake a comprehensive investigation. It said the committee’s findings will inform urgent enforcement measures to prevent a recurrence of such tragedies on inland waterways.
It said the GMA was launching an extensive and sustained lakeside safety enforcement operation to ensure that all boats — especially those operating at night — strictly comply with passenger limits, mandatory lifejacket use, and operational permit requirements. It said boats found in flagrant breach of safety laws will be seized and its operators prosecuted.
The Ghana Maritime Authority extended its deepest, “most heartfelt condolences to the bereaved families and the Kete Krachi community, who are enduring an unimaginable loss. The sheer number of young lives cut short leaves an indelible pain on the heart of the nation.
The GMA reiterates its steadfast dedication to enhancing and rigorously upholding safe water transport throughout all communities surrounding Volta Lake. We urge every resident, community leader, and family member along the lakeshore to be vigilant guardians of safety—never board a boat that is clearly overloaded or lacks lifejackets.
Your alertness and refusal to take unnecessary risks can save lives, particularly those of children. The GMA is fully committed to uncovering the underlying causes of this disaster and taking decisive action to prevent such tragedies from happening again on Volta Lake, the statement concluded.
Source: Enoch Darfah Frimpong
