Two people have been confirmed dead in the Nawuni electoral area in Kumbungu district in another boat disaster in the northern region. The boat capsized with passengers mainly traders returning from a market.
The two were identified as residents of Afayili, a farming community in the Nawuni electoral area in the Kumbungu district.
In August this year, a boat carrying about 13 passengers capsized in the White Volta at Daboya in the North Gonja district claiming four lives including two children of a police officer.
The National Disaster Management Organization (NADMO) Coordinator for Kumbungu District, Mohammed Abukari told Zaa News that the disaster occurred as a result of overloading. According to him, the capacity was five people but the captain of the boat picked six.
Four out of the six passengers were rescued by fisher men in the coastal communities (Nawuni&Afayili). Mr Abukarai said people living along White Volta Basin have to move to high lands to avoid being swept away by the water.
The boat disaster comes on the hills of the spillage of the Bagre Dam from Burkina Faso. Residents in the Nawuni electoral area say they are living in fears after the Sunday disaster.
However, the residents may have to endure the effect of Bagre Dam spillage because the water level since Sunday September 7, 2014 keeps increasing. They are fears that, the Nawuni township may also be flooded if the water level continue increasing.
The people of Afayili, Singa, Toligu, Magni, Kuli and Golazoli are currently trapped in by water of the Bagre Dam and have been cut off completely from getting access to regional capital, Tamale.
The spillage water did not spare farms of the affected communities and farmers fears their farm produce such maize and grand nuts may get rotten because they cannot go to their farms and harvest.
The assembly member for Nawuni electoral area, Anambiaka Asambo Elizabeth said the people are not ready to leave low land areas in spite of the dangers staggering on their faces and appealed to them adhere to disaster alert messages from the assembly.
The Bagre Dam was reaching its maximum level of 235 metres following continuous heavy rainfall. Managers of the Burkinabe dam are often compelled to spill more water from the dam which swells the White and Black Volta Rivers at the expense of lives and property of the poor riverside dwellers. Even though Ghana was duly notified before the spillage, some locals have refused to leave their affected communities and relocate to high land areas. They persisted in harvesting their food crops.
Categories:
