Boat capsizes on Lake Volta in Ghana, killing at least 20

Boat capsizes on Lake Volta in Ghana, killing at least 20

2011-09-08 05:19:00 GMT+7 (ICT)

LAKE VOLTA (BNO NEWS) -- At least 20 people were killed on Wednesday afternoon when a boat carrying more than 90 people capsized on Lake Volta in Ghana, local radio reported on early Thursday morning. Scores of people are still missing.

Joy FM reported that the pontoon was carrying at least 93 people when it left Kete-Krachi, the capital of Krachi West District, at around 11 a.m. local time en-route to Ekpedzi. It capsized during the afternoon near a village called Kpevi.

As of late Wednesday evening, at least 20 people had been rescued alive while 20 bodies were also recovered. The conditions of the 53 others on board was not immediately known, but all or many of them are feared to have drowned.

Kete-Krachi District Coordinator of the National Disaster Management Organisation (NADMO), Amuda Baba Seidu, told Joy FM that the accident was 'obviously' caused by overcrowding. He said residents ignored the advice of the Navy who insisted the pontoon was not capable of carrying 93 people.

Search and rescue operations were continuing on early Thursday morning, but Seidu said the rescue effort has been hampered because of the lack of speedboats. Most of the people on board were believed to be traders.

Lake Volta, which lies just six degrees north of the Equator, is the largest reservoir by surface area in the world, and the fourth largest one by water volume. It is located completely within the country of Ghana and has a surface area of about 8,502 square kilometers (3,275 square miles).

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