Vice President, Prof Jane Naana Opoku-Agyemang has sent a message of condolence to the bereaved family of the fifteen people who were drowned in the Volta Lake on October 11.
The Vice President sympathized with the families on Facebook on October 13.
"We are deeply saddened by the boat disaster on the Volta Lake at Kete Krachi which has claimed 15 lives, 11 of which are children," she said.
On behalf of the Government of Ghana, she sent heartfelt condolences "to the bereaved families, the affected community, and all those who have been impacted by this tragedy.
"We stand with you in this moment of grief," Prof Opoku-Agyemang declared.
It was recalled that on October 12 Ghana Maritime Authority (GMA) confirmed a fatal boat accident on the Volta Lake at Kete Krachi resulting in a tragic loss of lives.
The accident is said to have occurred on Saturday, 11th October, 2025 at 1:30 PM (13:30 hrs). In a release issued on Sunday, 12th October, 2025, the GMA narrated that a dinghy boat carrying passengers —purportedly returning from a funeral at Okuma to Bovime, both in the Krachi West District of the Oti Region, sadly capsized.
Early reports indicate that the ship was "grossly overloaded" beyond its safety load. The disaster claimed 15 lives altogether.
11 of the victims were children aged 2 and 14 years (five boys and six girls). The remaining four victims were adults — three females and one male—aged between 18 to 64 years.
Four other adults on board were injured but survived the accident.
The bodies of 12 of the victims have been deposited at the Kete Krachi and Worawora government hospital mortuaries, while the remaining three of the children have been buried.
The Ghana Maritime Authority described the incident as "a critical and unacceptable breach of safety standards."
GMA noted it is committed to absolute transparency and stern corrective action following the incident.
Since that time, the Authority has deployed a specialized investigating team of maritime safety inspectors and Navy Task Force personnel from Dambai to the scene.
The team is tasked with establishing the precise cause of the accident, whether or not there has been a violation of safety procedures, and that all parties responsible are brought to book in full by the law.
Besides, a High-Level Casualty Investigations Committee will be established forthwith in collaboration with the Ministry of Transport to carry out a comprehensive investigation into the accident.
The report of the committee, GMA reports, will guide prompt enforcement action to prevent recurrence of such tragedies on Ghana's inland waterway.
Enhanced Enforcement Action
The GMA is implementing an extensive and long-term lakeside safety campaign of enforcement to guarantee that all boats — especially those approaching at night — strictly comply with passenger capacities, compulsory wearing of lifejacket and operational permit standards.
Boats found in flagrant contravention of safety guidelines will be seized and its owners charged.
The Ghana Maritime Authority has also wished the affected families and the Kete Krachi community, who are enduring an unimaginable loss, its sincerest condolences.
"The sheer number of youth lost creates an indelible mark on the nation's heart," the Authority pointed out.
The GMA reasserted its renewed commitment towards augmenting and enforcing safe water transportation in all communities along Volta Lake.
The Authority called on members of the community and residents not to board any obviously overloaded boat or one that lacks lifejackets.
"We call on all citizens, grandparents, and family members who live along the lakeshore to be vigilant guardians of safety— do not board any obviously overloaded boat or one without lifejackets. Your vigilance and refusal can save lives, especially those of children," the statement went on.
The GMA is determined to reveal the reasons behind this disaster and instituting mechanisms to ensure that no such disaster ever happens to the Volta Lake.