Kwame Danso (B/A) Sept. 9, GNA - Mr Kwadwo Nyamekye-Marfo, Brong Ahafo Regional Minister, has led the Regional Security Council (REGSEC) to Alozo, a community in the Sene District where the recent tragic boat disaster occurred.

The team expressed sympathy and condolences to the bereaved families on behalf of the government and wished the survivors well. Mr Nyamekye-Marfo expressed concern that the incident was a sad one, especially when the casualties included children whose future 93no one knew".

He assured the bereaved families that investigations would be carried out to assess the cause of the accident. The regional minister however advised the people to avoid travelling in the night and to be careful in all their activities on the Volta Lake.

Mr Nyamekye-Marfo expressed appreciation to the search party that retrieved the bodies of the deceased.

Meanwhile it has been confirmed that 21 out of the 34 passengers on board the engine boat that capsized last Tuesday perished, contrary to earlier reports that 35 out of 93 passengers on board drowned. The accident occurred around 1930 hours at the point where the Sene River meets the Volta Lake at Alozo, about 100 metres to the shore.

Out of the 21 deceased seven were adults and 14 children aged between six months and six years, while 13 persons swum to safety. The bodies of the deceased have been deposited at Kete-Krachi Government Hospital.

Mr Peter Issaka Asumah, Director General of Ghana Maritime Authority, and two technical officers, Captain William Thompson and Mr Appiah Oppong, were also at the place to assess the situation. In all seven communities were affected by the disaster. The Brong Ahafo Regional Coordinating Council and the National Disaster Management Organisation (NADMO) have presented relief items to the affected families.

The items were 30 bags of rice, one bale of blanket, 100 pieces of plastic drinking cups, 100 pieces of plastic plates and assorted drinks.