Three people have drowned at Wallembelle, a farming community in the Sissala East District in the Upper West Region.
The incidents, which happened over the weekend, has left community members in a state of shock.
According to the Assembly Member for Wallembelle, Tanko Daniel, two of the deceased, aged 9 and 13, drowned after going to pick Shea nuts, whilst the third victim was a member of the search team.
Wallembelle, a farming community in the Sissala East District of the Upper West region is in a state of morning following the drowning of 3 persons in the area.
The incident happened on Sunday after a heavy rain.
Iddrisu Ahmed, an elder of the community, speaking to Citi News said two of the deceased, aged 9 and 13, all girls, went to pick share nuts in the early hours of Friday but were caught in the rain.
After several hours of waiting, their mother, Ayisha Bashiru, suspicious of their safety after the torrential rain, informed family members who also reported the matter to the leadership of the community.
The elder added that, a search team, comprising hunters and a section of the youth from the community and surrounding villages was deployed to unravel the whereabouts of the two sisters.
He said “the the team traced to a river where the two girls attempted to cross. Some divers were quickly selected to search in the water. Though the divers succeeded in getting one of the girls dead in the water, one of the divers, Razak Ahmed, a 37 year old also drowned”
At the time Citi News got to the scene, personnel of the Ghana Police Service were assisting in the search.
The last of the 3 persons, 37 year old, Razak Ahmed, was later found dead on Monday morning.
Rescuers found the two girls dead on Sunday after almost three days of search, but failed to get their colleague who happens to be an uncle to the two.
An elder of the bereaved family, Salia Ahmed said the family is yet to come to terms with the calamity.
He said “We have never seen such a calamity in this community talk less in our family. We still can’t believe it happened but as believers, we have to accept without questioning”.
Meanwhile all the three have been buried in accordance with Islamic tradition.
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By: Latif Mahama/citifmonline.com/Ghana