11-year-old was steering boat in Kete Krachi tragedy — NADMO

The Oti Regional Director of the National Disaster Management Organisation (NADMO), Foster Dzre, has revealed that the boat involved in the tragic Kete Krachi accident was being steered by an 11-year-old boy.

The devastating incident, which occurred on the Volta Lake, claimed 15 lives, including 11 children, with one person still missing.

According to Mr. Dzre, the vessel, a small fishing boat, was carrying about 20 passengers when it capsized midway through the journey.

Among the victims were three adults aged 58, 48, and 36, while the rest were children between two and 14 years old.

“The boat they use for fishing is not large, and most of those on board were children. Even the person controlling it was an 11-year-old boy,” Mr. Dzre said with concern.

He lamented the weak enforcement of safety regulations on the lake, noting that most passengers did not have life jackets.

“We supply life jackets to commercial boats, but this particular vessel was a private fishing boat,” he explained.

Mr. Dzre added that all the victims were residents of the Okuma community, and their bodies were identified in collaboration with the Police and Navy rescue teams.

Meanwhile, the Ghana Maritime Authority and the Ghana Navy have launched a joint investigation into the cause of the accident.

The Maritime Authority has also renewed calls for stronger enforcement powers to ensure safety compliance on the nation’s waterways.