A man’s three wives, five children, and mother, including nine others have died after a canoe capsized on the Volta Lake. Five others were rescued, and two remain missing.
The wooden canoe was carrying 16 passengers from Yeji to the community of Congo when it encountered a storm near Mataiko last Wednesday.
None wore life jackets, the Ghana Maritime Authority (GMA) confirmed.
Police said the nine bodies were buried according to Islamic tradition before officers arrived at the scene.
The GMA believes the boat operator evaded designated departure points to bypass safety checks.
Director-General Dr. Kamal-Deen Ali (Naval Captain retd) said the vessel did not leave from an approved location, escaping mandatory life jacket enforcement.
The authority reiterated that life jackets are compulsory for all water transport.
It is now reviewing legal frameworks to impose tougher penalties on violators and considering drone and GPS surveillance to monitor illegal routes.
