Residents of Amadaa in the Atwima Mponua District of the Ashanti Region have been thrown into a state of anguish, following the drowning of six people in the Offin River last week Friday.
The six, who were part of the a group of twelve (12) who were crossing the Offin river to their farms, saw their boat capsised after it hit a tree stump leaving them at the mercy of the river which had over flooded due to the heavy rains that day.
Reports indicated that the fortunate six including a nursing mother who are alive were those who were able to swim to a safe as they get hold of a tree in the strong flooded river.
Assembly Member of Nkrumah Betinko, Martin Prempeh, who corroborated the report, told Today that even though the nursing mother was alive and safe now, she has not stopped weeping for her daughter who was carried away by the river.
Nana Oteng Mensah led a delegation of chiefs of Nyinahin Traditional Area and the Nyinahin District Police to the river early Saturday morning to perform rituals on its banks.
After the rituals, divers were allowed to begin a search for the lost six who were all indigenes of the area.
“What is surprising is that the last time the river killed an indigene was about 30 years ago and it hasn’t happened again so we are not only sad but surprised,” Mr. Prempeh told this reporter via phone.
According to him, even though the river was flooded due to the heavy rains, the survivors said they thought the flood had reduced even though they could not see their way clearly.
This sad development adds to the two deaths that occurred in Nwabiagya District which is very close to the Atwima Mponua District.
Flooding has become a perennial challenge in the Ashanti Region, always taking lives and destroying lots of properties, thereby drawing back development.
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