Ghana boat capsize kills 15, mostly children: authorities

A member of the Ghanaian Navy participates in training exercises with the Canadian Naval Tactical Operations Group team aboard HMCS Shawnigan in Ghana, March 11, 2019. (Royal Canadian Navy)

A boat capsized on a lake in northeastern Ghana, killing 15 people, mostly children, maritime authorities said on Sunday.

“Tragically, 11 of the deceased were children between the ages of two and 14 years (five males and six females)” in the incident that took place Saturday on Lake Volta in the Krachi West District of the Oti Region, the Ghana Maritime Authority said in a statement.

The children and other victims, aged up to 64, were travelling from Okuma to Bovime when their vessel overturned, it added.

Four adults survived, the statement said, describing the accident as “a critical and unacceptable breach of safety standards”.

Preliminary findings suggested the boat was overloaded, the authority said.

A specialized investigation team, including naval personnel, was deployed to determine the cause.

The authority added that it would set up a high-level investigation committee with the transport ministry and launch a “sustained lakeside safety enforcement operation” to ensure compliance with passenger limits and life jacket rules.

Boat disasters are common on Lake Volta, often caused by overloading and collisions with tree stumps.

In August, six passengers died in a similar incident. In May 2023, 18 people were killed after their boat struck a submerged tree stump.

The GMA said it “remains resolute in unravelling the root causes of this disaster and implementing measures to ensure that no such tragedy ever occurs again”.