Boat disaster on Black Volta leaves 5 missing, one dead

A boat disaster on the Black Volta in the Savannah Region has left one person dead, and about 5 others missing.

The disaster happened when the boat transporting the passengers from Dorkorchina to Kpandai capsized as a result of alleged overloading.

Mr. Kipo Sulemana, Bole District Director of National Disaster Management Organisation (NADMO), who confirmed the incident on Saturday, May 27, said one person had died, two others survived the incident while about 5 others remained missing.

“They were traders who were coming from the northern part of the Bono side across to their villages, and they are always around the riverside up to the Côte d’Ivoire boundary. These people were coming from the northern side and when they got to a point, their canoe capsized. We recorded one death, a lady. The ladies were two with three men and the one who was driving the engine boat is yet to be recovered to know whether he is alive or not.”

NADMO also disclosed that the boat was loaded with the victims and goods at the time the accident happened.

He added that the part of the lake where they were travelling is littered with tree stumps which are suspected to be the cause of the accident.

He said where the incident happened was inaccessible, adding NADMO was relying on local people to help rescue those missing.