A tragic canoe accident on the Black Volta River has claimed the lives of two individuals in the Wa West District of the Upper West Region. The victims were among a group of six people returning from a funeral in neighbouring Burkina Faso on Sunday, July 20, when their canoe capsized midstream near Bankpama.
While four of the passengers managed to swim to safety, two others were swept away by the powerful currents of the river. By Tuesday, July 22, only one body had been recovered.
The Assembly Member for the Bankpama Electoral Area, Mr. Nyord John, confirmed that none of the victims were wearing life jackets. This highlights the ongoing failure to enforce basic river safety measures on one of the country’s most hazardous waterways.
“This isn’t the first time we’ve lost lives on this stretch of the river,” Mr. John remarked, noting that the lack of life jackets has consistently been a contributing factor to these fatalities.
Despite repeated incidents, residents have been unable to secure life jackets due to financial constraints and plans to fundraise for the necessary safety gear have stalled. Calls for government intervention have largely gone unanswered, leaving the community vulnerable.
Officials from the National Disaster Management Organisation (NADMO) and the Ghana Police Service visited the scene and have been assisting with the search for the second victim. NADMO has since pledged to provide life jackets to canoe operators in the area. However, the need for action remains urgent.
The Black Volta serves as a critical cross-border route for residents of Wa West; however, the lack of regulated transport and inconsistent enforcement of safety protocols has turned it into a recurring death trap. Until these issues are addressed, residents remain at the mercy of a system that has failed to protect them.
