Emmanuel Kwaku Boam, the Member of Parliament for the Pru East constituency in the Bono East Region, has extended his heartfelt condolences to the families affected by the boat disaster on the Volta Lake.
The tragedy occurred on Thursday, 9 April 2026, when a vessel carrying 14 passengers was struck by an early morning storm while travelling towards Kongo in the Savannah Region.
Following the capsize, nine individuals—including several children—were confirmed dead. While five passengers were successfully rescued, search efforts eventually recovered the bodies of the remaining victims. Preliminary reports have highlighted the harrowing scale of the loss, noting that 11 of those on board belonged to the same family.
Speaking in an interview on Nyankonton Mu Nsem on Rainbow Radio 87.5 FM, the lawmaker described the accident as deeply unfortunate.
He revealed that two of the deceased were discovered today; however, because one body had already begun to decompose, the family was required to proceed with an immediate burial.
Mr Boam lamented the persistent failure of residents and operators to adhere to essential safety protocols.
He noted that the vessel was significantly overloaded, explaining that parents may have mistakenly assumed the lighter weight of the children would not pose a risk.
Although overloading and a lack of life-saving equipment are recurring issues on the lake, the MP pointed out that life jackets remain prohibitively expensive for the majority of the local population.
While authorities are yet to release a comprehensive account of the disaster, the incident has reignited urgent calls for the strict enforcement of safety regulations on the water.
Commenting on the tragedy, the MP stated: “The accident is disturbing, and I want to extend my condolences to the affected family. Twelve of them were from the same family. The unfortunate thing was that the boat was meant to take only five people, but it loaded 15 people and then cargo. What they forgot was that the children on board were exposed to danger and could not swim when the accident occurred. The weather was also not favourable, and so, when the disaster struck, it took lives.”
He added that there were desperate struggles for survival prior to the vessel sinking, but by that stage, it was already too late to avert the catastrophe.
By: Rainbowradioonline.com/Ghana
