A boat capsized on a lake in northeastern Ghana, killing 15 people, mostly children, maritime authorities have said.
“Tragically, 11 of the deceased were children between the ages of two and 14 years (five males and six females)” in the incident that took place on Saturday on Lake Volta in the Krachi West District of the Oti Region, the Ghana Maritime Authority said in a statement Sunday.
The children and other victims, aged up to 64, were travelling from Okuma to Bovime when their vessel overturned, it added.
Four adults survived, the statement said, describing the accident as “a critical and unacceptable breach of safety standards”.
Preliminary findings suggested the boat was overloaded, the authority said.
A specialised investigation team, including naval personnel, was deployed to determine the cause.