6 Killed in Canoe Crash

Six people, including an eight-month old toddler, were feared dead when a canoe they were travelling in capsized after hitting a stump in the River Offin.

A total number of thirteen people, mainly farmers, were said to be in the canoe when the Saturday morning accident occurred.

The number of fatalities, according to eye-witnesses, could have been higher but for the timely intervention of some expert swimmers who voluntarily managed to save seven of the victims. The six, who were feared dead, were made up of three adults and three children.

As at the time of filing this report, only one body had been retrieved. The seven survivors were also rushed to the Nkwawie Government Hospital and other nearby medical facilities for treatment.

The disheartening incident brought all activities at the farming town of Amaadaa in the Atwima Mponua District of the Ashanti region to a standstill, reports indicate.

Libation was poured by the traditional leaders in the town to pacify the gods to pave way for divers to retrieve the remaining bodies so they could be given befitting burials. But after several hours of search, the seemingly exhausted divers could only retrieve one body before ending their first day search on Saturday.

Assemblyman for Nkrumah Betinko, Hon. Martin Prempeh, expressed worry that the five missing people would not survive. He said the 13 people on board the canoe was crossing to the other end to collect their foodstuffs when the calamity struck.

He disclosed that this was not the first time a canoe had capsized on the river, saying; “previous accidents did not claim such a large number of human lives”.

He said the search for the missing five bodies, including the eight-month toddler, would continue on Sunday morning.

Source: Kwadwo Essel