The Ghana Maritime Authority (GMA) has confirmed a fatal boat disaster that occurred on the Volta Lake near Kete Krachi on Saturday, October 11, 2025, resulting in a devastating loss of 15 lives.Â
According to GMA, preliminary reports indicate that the boat was grossly overloaded beyond its safe operational capacity.
Tragically, 11 of the deceased were children between the ages of two and 14 years (five males and six females).
The remaining four victims were adults — three women and one man—aged between 18 to 64 years.
Four other adults who were on board survived the accident.
The bodies of 12 of the deceased have been deposited at the Kete Krachi and Worawora Government Hospital mortuaries, while the remaining three children have since been laid to rest.
The incident occurred at approximately 1:30 PM when the small boat carrying passengers — reportedly returning from a funeral at Okuma to Bovime, both in the Krachi West District of the Oti Region, tragically capsized.
Preliminary reports, according to the GMA indicate that the boat was grossly overloaded beyond its safe operational capacity.
The Ghana Maritime Authority in a statement dated October 12, 2025 issued on Sunday evening said it views the incident as a “critical and unacceptable breach of safety standards and is committed to full transparency and decisive corrective action.
It said an investigative team has been deployed, comprising maritime safety inspectors and personnel from the Navy Task Force in Dambai to the scene.
The team’s mandate is to establish the precise cause of the accident, identify any violations of safety regulations, and ensure that all responsible parties are held fully accountable under the law.
Again, it said GMA will immediately constitute a high-level Casualty Investigations Committee to undertake a comprehensive investigation.
It said the committee’s findings will inform urgent enforcement measures to prevent a recurrence of such tragedies on inland waterways.
It said the GMA was launching an extensive and sustained lakeside safety enforcement operation to ensure that all boats — especially those operating at night — strictly comply with passenger limits, mandatory lifejacket use, and operational permit requirements.
It said boats found in flagrant breach of safety laws will be seized and its operators prosecuted.
The Ghana Maritime Authority extended its deepest, “most heartfelt condolences to the bereaved families and the Kete Krachi community, who are enduring an unimaginable loss. The sheer number of young lives cut short leaves an indelible pain on the heart of the nation.
“The GMA reaffirms its unwavering commitment to improving and strictly enforcing safe water transport across all communities along the Volta Lake.
We appeal to every citizen, community elder, and family member living along the lakeshore to act as vigilant custodians of safety— do not board any boat
that is visibly overloaded or lacks lifejackets. Your vigilance and refusal could save lives, especially those of children.
The GMA remains resolute to unraveling the root causes of this disaster and implementing measures to ensure that no such tragedy ever occurs again on
the Volta Lake,” it added.
