The deceased pupils, Kwaku Bright and Jonas Aryeetey, both under age eight, went with a third person, Francis Dzifa, went to swim in the pit located in an area called Jobs Crama.

[contextly_sidebar id=”QeiAj9UOonmD48ARUPqBeDVGwNL7Niiz”]According to the Eastern Regional Police Public Relations Officer, ASP Ebenezer Tetteh, preliminary investigations revealed no physical cuts or marks on the bodies of the children when they were retrieved.

He added that the bodies have since been deposited at the Akim Oda Government Hospital while police continue their investigations.

“On March 4 at about 10:00 am, one Kofi Yeboah came to the station and reported that at about 10:30 am, three pupils of Methodist Primary School at Akim Takorase, whose ages were given as 7, 7 and 8 years respectively, went to a place called Jobs Crama, a recreational facility where people go to have fun. So whilst they were swimming, Kwaku Bright and Jonas Aryeetey drowned,” ASP Ebenezer Tetteh narrated.

“On receipt of the information, Police quickly went to the scene with the complainant, and with the help of the divers at the facility, the bodies were removed. On-the-spot inspection of the body revealed no visual marks on them. The bodies have been deposited at the Oda government hospital for preservation and autopsy while investigations continue.”

55-year-old drowns

A 55-year-old man, William Soga, also drowned at Nketepa on Saturday while transporting traders across the Volta Lake from Kwahu Tafo area to Asaseboama in his outboard motor-powered canoe.

The Eastern Regional Police Public Relations Officer, ASP Ebenezer Tetteh, who confirmed the incident to Citi News said the deceased, William Soga, was reported by eyewitnesses to have fallen from his canoe.

According to ASP Ebenezer Tetteh, the body of the deceased is still yet to be retrieved from the lake.

“[The deceased’s wife] Stella, narrated to police that at about 6:00 am, the deceased ferried some traders across the Volta Lake to trade on the other side of the lake. He returned at about 9:30 am and collected fares from the passengers. It was alleged that he suddenly fell into the lake. When the inhabitants of the town heard the news, they quickly organized themselves, went to the scene and conducted a search but he could not be found and is therefore believed to have drowned,” he narrated.

“Efforts were made by a search party to retrieve the body but to no avail. The man is believed to have drowned but a body has not been discovered yet so the search party is still looking” he said.

–

By: Neil Nii Amatey Kanarku & Edwin Kwakofi/citifmonline.com/Ghana

The post E/R: 2 pupils drown in galamsey pit at Akyem Takorase appeared first on Citi 97.3 FM - Relevant Radio. Always.

Their bodies were retrieved following hours of search.

[contextly_sidebar id=”o3PyudPQRj0O3z6DARJTwQlgGfKVf15k”]Preliminary investigations conducted by the National Disaster Management Organization (NADMO), revealed that the boat was leaking terribly while the owner used a machete to paddle it.

Narrating the incident, Deputy Director of NADMO, Abu Ramadan, told Citi News that “the canoe apparently did not have a paddle so the guy was using a cutlass to paddle himself across the water and this is a very wide river . The canoe was also leaking.”

“The Police medical team came to inspect and certify that the cause of death was drowning so they gave them permission to bury and when we left too, we made sure we left some safety jackets behind.”

In May 2016, a similar incident occurred in the Volta Region , leading to the death of six children.

The incident happened when the boat which was from Nantwekope and heading towards Yeji hit a tree stump and in the process capsized.

Ghana has experienced several of such disasters on the Volta Lake in times past.

–

By: Duke Mensah Opoku/citifmonline.com/Ghana

The post Northern Region: 4 farmers dead after boat capsizes appeared first on Citi 97.3 FM - Relevant Radio. Always.