Authorities in Ghana report that 15 people were killed after a boat capsized in a lake in the northeastern portion of the country on Saturday, October 11.
Ghana Maritime Authority (GMA) officials said the incident occurred on Lake Volta in Oti region as the boat was carrying passengers between Okuma and Bovime.
The incident's death toll included four adults and 11 children aged between two and 14.
Only four adult passengers were safely rescued following the capsizing, which the GMA described as, "a critical and unacceptable breach of safety standards."
An investigation has since been launched to confirm whether the boat had indeed been overloaded at the time, as has been alleged in preliminary findings.
Authorities said boat accidents are not uncommon on Lake Volta due to the presence of tree stumps and other debris.
A similar incident that occurred last August left six people dead while in May 2023, a boat transiting the lake struck a submerged tree stump, resulting in 18 deaths.