Mother, three children drown in pit on lagoon at Laklevikope
A woman, aged 41, has drowned along with her three children in a pit dug in the Keta Lagoon at Laklevikope, near Aflao, in the Ketu South Municipality.
The deceased, Madam Yawa Apenu on Saturday fell off into the pit together with her two children, Bridget Amewu, 14, Daddy Amewu, 10 and another child, who stayed with the family, Sitsofe Ahiawor, 8, while they reportedly went fishing.
Of the five, who went fishing, Mr Atitso Amewu, husband to the deceased woman was the only person who managed to escape death.
Some residents, who spoke to the Ghana News Agency (GNA), suspected that the pit that claimed the lives of the four might have been the creation of Seven Seas Salt Limited, which had uncompleted a dyke on its concessions in the area.
Barely two months ago, two people reportedly drowned along the stretch of the lagoon, while they attempted to fish.
Mr Victor Ayaku, Assembly member for the area, in an earlier interview with the GNA following the first drowning incident in early July, complained that “there’s no form of protection around the dykes, no demarcation and it’s almost like a death trap” to unsuspecting residents who might want to go fishing in the lagoon.
Mr Adams Mensah, the Public Relations Officer, Seven Seas Salt Limited, in a reaction, noted that the Company was not responsible for Saturday’s disaster.
He said the pit was outside the company’s concession and that it was a fish pond, belonging to an individual and not known to the Company.
Regretting the loss of lives, he disclosed that the salt mining company was ready to support the family of the deceased.
He underscored the need for collaboration between them and stakeholders, especially Assembly members of communities in which the Company had concessions to forestall such avoidable deaths.
Mr Mensah said though the Company had constructed danger signposts, which it would start mounting on its concessions from Monday to ward off people and fishers from deep pit areas, there was still the need for education for the people to use sticks to test the depth of the water while fishing to avoid unfortunate situations because there was individual fish ponds created in the lagoon.
Meanwhile, a Police source, who confirmed the incident, said the bodies have been deposited at the morgue for preservation, while a meeting is scheduled with the family of the deceased Sunday afternoon to help in investigations.
Source: GNA