Over 300 commuters from Nanumba in the Northern Region crossing the Oti River to Kejeji in the Brong Ahafo Region Wednesday got stranded when the ferry broke down at Kete Krachi in the Oti Region.
Minutes after the merchant vessel developed a technical fault, motorcycles and other items were evacuated into canoes and engine boats to prevent ferry from sinking.
All passengers were also later rescued and ferried to safety by engine boats and canoes.
Mr Charles Atinor, Captain of the ferry told Ghana News Agency (GNA) that, the water taxi developed a technical hitch halfway through the journey and was unable to reach its destination.
He said though engineers identified the problem and were fixing it, he was not sure the vessel could work on Thursday, August 29.
GNA observed that vehicles, including; metro mass transit buses and tipper trucks remained stuck on the vessel whiles engineers worked on it.
The Oti River is an extension of the Volta Lake and the simplest route from the north through the Oti region to the Brong – Ahafo region.
The commuters are mostly farmers who produce crops such as millet, beans, maize, cassava and yam for markets at Ejura, Atebubu, Nkronza and Techiman.
Canoe operators described the situation as a windfall, working round the clock to manage the heavy traffic.
