Seven people have perished after their boat capsized on a journey from Jemeni to Havekokpe on the Volta Lake on Thursday, 14 April 2022.
Rescue efforts are underway to save others who were part of the 30 passengers who left an island for the journey in the Kwahu Afram Plains North District of the Eastern Region.
Five females and two male adults drowned halfway into the journey after encountering a storm.
According to reports, the incident occurred at Todzie at about 6 pm after heavy winds caused the boat to overturn as the passengers struggled to swim to safety.
The ages of the deceased range from 31-60 years.
The bodies have been deposited at a private morgue as investigations continue.
Drowning incidents are common in Ghana, especially in the southern regions.
Some drowning incidents
In October 2021, at least four other young people died when their boat capsized on the River Offin in the Ashanti Region.
Their bodies were pulled from the river after nearly three days of searching for those missing.
In March 2021, about 13 teenagers drowned at the Apam Beach in the Central Region.
According to a police report, while the children were swimming, a high tide swallowed them up.
The timely intervention of a Good Samaritan saved the lives of two of them as they were rescued and sent to the St. Luke Hospital to be attended to.
But the rest could not make it.
The yearly ritual of drownings
Hundreds of deaths are recorded yearly due to drowning.
According to WHO data published in 2018, drowning deaths in Ghana reached 1,206 or 0.60% of total deaths.
The researchers used data from January 2012 to December 2018.