15 dead in tragic canoe accident on Oti river operated by 14-year-old boy
12th October 2025
file photo
A heartbreaking canoe accident has claimed the lives of 15 people in the Krachi West District of the Oti Region, after a vessel carrying mourners capsized on the Oti River on Saturday, October 11, 2025.
Eyewitnesses reported that the passengers were traveling to a funeral between Okuma-Akura and Debume when water began flooding the canoe.
In an attempt to scoop it out, one passenger accidentally dropped the container being used, causing panic and instability that led to the vessel overturning.
According to the Assembly Member for the area, about 21 people were aboard the canoe at the time of the incident.
Fifteen people were confirmed dead, while six survivors were rescued and taken to the hospital for treatment. They have since been discharged.
The bodies of the deceased have been conveyed to the Worawora Government Hospital for autopsy.
In a shocking twist, reports revealed that the canoe was operated by a 14-year-old boy, raising serious safety concerns about the use of minors in operating passenger vessels.
The tragedy has plunged the entire Krachi West community into mourning, with grieving families and residents calling for stricter enforcement of river transport safety regulations to prevent such disasters in the future.