By Rachel Kakraba
Operations Director of the Afram Plains North Office of NADMO, Joseph Karaah, has attributed the April 15, 2022 boat disaster on the Volta Lake that claimed many lives to violent windstorms usually experienced on the lake between March and April.
He said “overloading of boats coupled with the unpredictable nature of the weather are the major causes of the frequent accidents on the Lake”.
A boat carrying 20 passengers capsized on the Volta Lake, resulting in the death of seven people. Boat accidents are quite common on the Volta lake. In May 2020, five persons died after a boat aboard with 25 passengers sailing on return from Dzemeni to Agalakope met a violent storm and capsized. Mr. Karaah said over the years, NADMO has initiated a sensitization drive on the need for residents who patronize services of boats to use life jackets. He said the organization has spearheaded the distribution of life jackets to all boat owners for passengers’ use. He described as unfortunate passengers refusal to wear life jackets, resulting in needless deaths.
‘When a boat capsizes it depends on the capacity of the boat and it also depends on the number of people that the boat is picking from the market place to it’s destination. Usually some of the boat can pick beyond hundred to maximum capacity two hundred usually from March April going we have wind storms from the riverside. If you are not able to study the weather very well you could meet wind storm. NADMO has provided life jackets to all the boat owners, the Life jackets are given to the boat owners so that when passengers who board wear the life jackets”, he noted.
Related Post:https://www.gbcghanaonline.com/general/fatal-boat-accident/2022/
