Three persons have been confirmed dead after the canoe in which they were travelling on the Oti River in the Krachi East District of the Volta Region capsized.

Although the actual cause of the accident is yet to be confirmed, residents suspected it might be due to overloading.

Confirming the accident to DAILY GUIDE, the Volta Regional Director of the National Disaster Management Organisation (NADMO), Divine R.K Bosson, narrated that the incident happened on Thursday, November 22, 2018, between 9-10am in the morning.

He said in all six persons were traveling on the canoe from Kparekpare to Kpogede Azizakpoe with several bags of cassava dough which they were sending to the market to exchange for their needs; barter trade.

However, the barter trade expedition was short lived when the boat capsized as they neared Kpogede Azizakpoe in the Krachi East District.

In the process to swim to safety, three out of the six drowned. They are a woman, Kadim Bamba, 31 years and her two-year-old daughter, Maria Bamba. The third person was 18-year-old Razak Bufum.

Due to the absence of a well-equipped hospital and morgue in the Krachi East District, the bodies were sent to the Biakoye District Hospital mortuary at Worawora awaiting an autopsy.

The other three survivors are on admission at the same hospital and are responding to treatment.

Mr. Divine Bosson indicated that investigations are still ongoing to ascertain the true cause of the accident. He advised users of the river to adhere to safety standards and avoid overloading their boats.