Transport Minister Joseph Bukari Nikpe has announced immediate safety interventions on the Volta Lake following the tragic boat accident near Kete Krachi that claimed 15 lives, including 11 children.
In an exclusive interview with Joy News, Minister Nikpe outlined the government’s response to the disaster.
He confirmed the deployment of safety officers to Kete Krachi for public education and announced the stationing of a newly acquired search and rescue vessel at Kpando Tokor, delivered last month.
“With our safety officers that we are deploying, even where this incident happened in Kete Krachi, we have put some safety officers who are doing education,” he said.
Additionally, an office is being established in Akosombo to oversee daily surveillance and enforcement of safety regulations on the lake.
The tragic incident occurred on October 11, 2025, when a wooden canoe, carrying over 20 passengers, capsized while crossing the lake.
The boat was reportedly overloaded and lacked lifejackets.
The victims were returning from a funeral in Okuma to Bovime.
Joseph Nikpe emphasised the importance of adhering to boat capacity limits to prevent overloading, stating, “What our safety officers will do is to ensure that they will look at the capacity of each boat. If you are supposed to take 10 passengers, you do not exceed.”
The government has called on boat operators and passengers to cooperate with safety officers and comply with regulations to prevent further tragedies on Lake Volta.
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