Drowned schoolchildren buried
The nine schoolchildren who drowned in a canal at Fanaa, a suburb of Bortianor in the Ga South municipality in the Greater Accra Region, have been buried.
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They were buried yesterday at the Bortianor Cemetery after a burial service at Tsokome, also in the municipality.
The event was attended by the Greater Accra Regional Minister, Henry Quartey; the Municipal Chief Executive (MCE) for Ga South, Joseph Yarni Stephen, and the MCE for Weija-Gbawe, Patrick Kumor.
Others were the Member of Parliament for Bortianor Ngleshie-Amanfro, some security personnel and the Weija-Gbawe Municipal Director of the National Disaster Management Organisation, Emmanuel Adu-Boahen.
The solemn event also attracted members of the community who mourned the death of the youngsters and also sympathised with the bereaved families.
On behalf of the government, Mr Quartey presented GH¢10,000 to each of the bereaved families who lost their loved ones in the tragedy.
He urged parents in the affected communities to ensure that their children were protected before using the estuary, or in the interim, accompany them to and from school.
The minister, however, said that a canoe and an outboard motor would be provided for the community.
Incident
The nine children got drowned after the canoe transporting them from school capsized in a canal last Wednesday afternoon.
The deceased who were aged one-and- half to 12 years were part of a group of 12 children who were on board the canoe when the accident happened.
The other three, including the paddler of the canoe, however, survived the disaster.
The children, who lived with their parents and guardians at Fanaa, Bortianor in Ga South, were pupils of a private school at Wiaboman, behind Pambros in Weija-Gbawe.
They were crossing a canal which separates Fanaa from Wiaboman, after school when the accident occurred.
Survivor
One of the three survivors, Enyonam Ekpe, claimed that the paddler, a 12-year-old, ignored suggestions to reduce the number of people on board the canoe since it was overloaded.
She, however, said they did not have a choice when he refused because it was the only canoe available at the time.
Mss Ekpe said shortly after the canoe had moved, they were hit by a tidal wave causing it to capsize.
Mr Quartey has meanwhile asked that she be referred to a psychologist for support as she seemed traumatised by the incident.
