Six persons have drowned in the Afram River in the Eastern Region.
The unfortunate incident occurred Thursday morning (November 9, 2023), at the Agyata Electoral Area while eight people were attempting to cross the river from Azietsi-Korpe, a village near the Agyata community.
Fortunately, two of the victims managed to swim to safety, while the whereabouts of the other six remain unknown.
The victims were reportedly labourers hired from Maame-Krobo and neighboring areas to work on a commercial farm.
A rescue team comprising the Police, Fire Service, and Ambulance Service from the National Disaster Management Organization (NADMO) is working to locate the missing persons.
Drowning is a critical global public health concern that often leads to tragic loss of life, especially among vulnerable communities.
According to WHO, globally, drowning is the third leading cause of unintentional injury death. It is responsible for about 7% of all deaths due to injuries.
Annually, about 240,000 people die due to drowning.
In 2018 alone, drowning deaths in Ghana reached 1,206 or 0.60% of total deaths.
Researchers from the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST) revealed that a total of 1,449 drowning cases were recorded in the last three years.
The growing number of deaths related to river drowning is not merely a statistical figure; it is a haunting tale of shattered families, grieving communities, and the persistent question of what more can be done to prevent such tragedies.