File photo
AT LEAST five people are feared dead after a canoe capsized on the Offin River at New Achiase in the Atwima Mponua District, in the Ashanti Region.
About 10 people, it is reported, were on the canoe, from New Achiase to another town on Friday, October 8, 2021, when disaster struck.
What caused the disaster was not immediately known but sources alleged that it may have been caused by overloading, considering the small nature of the canoe and the number of people and goods on board.
Reports indicated that five other people, on board the canoe, who could swim, managed to move to safety immediately the canoe capsized but the other five could not swim to save their lives.
The five people, all males, have since been declared missing from Friday to Sunday afternoon.
Wild Search
Reports said swimmers in New Achiase and the nearby communities were quickly engaged by traditional leaders to search for the missing people.
Unfortunately, despite diving deep into the river, the expert divers could not locate any of the missing five, sparking fear and panic in the community.
According to reports reaching the DAILY GUIDE, prior to the disaster, it had rained heavily in New Achiase and the Offin River was overflowing its banks.
The District Chief Executive (DCE) for Atwima Mponua, Isaac Kofi Marfo, and other officials, were present on Saturday as the search teams dived into the river in vain.
Rituals Performed
As the search for the missing five people proved difficult, the traditional leaders were consulted to perform rituals on the banks of the river for divine intervention.
When the paper visited the banks of the river on Saturday, there were empty bottles of schnapps all over, confirming reports that rituals had been performed there earlier.
As at Sunday afternoon, the search team were still working assiduously, with the hope that the five missing people would eventually be found.
FROM I.F. Joe Awuah Jnr., Kumasi