By Stanley Kwabla Arku
The Ministry of Education has expressed deep sorrow over the tragic death of seven students from the Lawra Senior High School who drowned in the Black Volta River on Saturday morning, June 15.
The students, members of the school’s cadet corps, were reportedly on a routine morning jogging exercise when they attempted to cross the river near Dikpe into neighbouring Burkina Faso using a canoe. The vessel capsized midway, leading to the loss of seven lives, five girls and two boys. Three others survived the accident.
In a press statement issued by the Deputy Minister of Education and Member of Parliament, Dr. Clement Abas Apaak, the Ministry described the incident as “unexpected and heartbreaking,” and extended condolences on behalf of the Minister for Education, Hon. Haruna Iddrisu, and the government to the bereaved families and the entire Lawra SHS community.
Recovery efforts were carried out by teams from the National Disaster Management Organisation (NADMO), the Ghana Police Service, and the Ghana Education Service. All the bodies have since been retrieved.
Following the incident, the Minister for Education has directed the Director-General of the Ghana Education Service to immediately engage with regional and district education authorities, as well as the headmaster of the school, to ascertain the circumstances surrounding the tragedy and report back without delay.
“We share in the grief of the affected families and the entire school community. Our thoughts and prayers are with them in this extremely difficult time,” the statement said, assuring the public of the Ministry’s continued commitment to student safety.
The Ministry is awaiting a full report from the Ghana Police Service as investigations continue.
Background
The incident occurred on Saturday, June 14, during a routine morning jogging exercise. Eyewitnesses say the students had extended their usual route to the Dikpe Bridge area and attempted to cross the river in a canoe believed to be overloaded. The canoe overturned midstream, throwing all ten students into the water.
Rescue teams and local volunteers launched an immediate search and recovery effort. By midday, the bodies of four students two males and two females, had been retrieved. Three others, all female, remain missing. The remaining three students survived and are receiving medical care and psychological support.
Sources close to the school confirmed that early morning jogging is a regular activity for the cadet team, but the reason behind their attempt to cross the river remains unclear.
Officials from the Ghana Education Service (GES), the Lawra Municipal Assembly, and the Municipal Security Council have visited the scene and are coordinating ongoing recovery efforts.