Residents of Kpando Torkor and nearby areas can now relax as the ferry, which had been out of service for three months, is finally fixed and back in use.
The ferry, an important way to cross the Volta Lake, had been down, leaving residents to deal with difficult and sometimes dangerous travel conditions. During this time, people had to rely on smaller, overcrowded boats, which were not safe.
The lack of the ferry also disrupted business, particularly for traders and farmers who rely on it to move their goods to markets across the lake.
Now that the ferry is running again, locals are relieved and happy to have a safer and more reliable transportation option. However, they are urging the authorities to take steps to avoid future problems.
Many are calling for a maintenance workshop to be set up at Kpando Torkor, so repairs can be done quickly if the ferry breaks down again.
The local Assembly member, Joshua Amenyogbe, also stressed the importance of finding a permanent solution to keep the ferry running smoothly.
Concerns are growing among residents and travelers in the Kpando Torkor area due to the prolonged inoperability of the ferry, a crucial transportation link for the region.
The ferry, which has been out of service for several weeks, has left passengers with no choice but to resort to overcrowded canoes, creating significant disruptions to travel and local commerce.
The alternative crossings are not only causing long delays but also posing serious safety risks, as the makeshift canoes navigate the lake under unsafe conditions.
Stephen Dzaka, a concerned traveler, shared his frustration, stating, “We used to cross safely with the ferry, but now that it’s broken down, we are forced to use the canoe. It is overcrowded, and the risk of an accident is high.”
With the situation becoming increasingly dire, locals and travelers are calling on the authorities to take immediate action and repair the ferry to ensure safer and more reliable transport options for the community.
“We urge the government to repair the ferry as soon as possible to prevent a potential disaster.”
Passengers and drivers travelling across the Oti River from Dambai to the northern part of the country have been stranded at the riverbanks due to the breakdown of the only ferry in service.
The ferry’s malfunction has affected their businesses, as much of their trade occurs on both sides of the river.
Although the ferry was repaired and back in service Thursday morning, many are still waiting to cross, leading to frustration among those affected.
One stranded passenger expressed their disappointment, saying, “I’ve been here since yesterday morning at 9 and it’s almost 12 today, still I’ve not been able to cross. When we asked, they said the ferry is spoilt, including some generators, so we are still in a queue here. This government has disappointed us.”
He further added, “during the previous government, we had two ferries here which were going to and fro but when this government came, we don’t see that here any more which is a challenge. All our goods are left on the farm we cannot go for them.”
This is the first time such an unfortunate incident has occurred. In March 2023, passengers using the ferry were stranded at both ends of the Oti River on Saturday, March 25, due to the ferry’s malfunction.
As a result, commuters were forced to cross the Oti River in crowded boats without any safety precautions.
Passengers who use the ferry have been stranded at both ends of the Oti River since Saturday, March 25 due to the malfunctioning of the ferry.
Silverio Nauaito, who is in charge of the Island of Mozambique, reported to the media that, the ferry sank on Sunday afternoon. The number of people who died in the accident went up from 91 to 94 after they found three more bodies on Monday.
Mr Nauaito said that 130 people were on the ferry. 94 people died and about 11 people were taken to the hospital.
“Nauaito told the radio station that about three people were saved, but it’s hard to know exactly how many are still missing. ” He said that officials are going to the accident site on Monday to get more accurate information.
The boat that goes between Lunga and the Island of Mozambique was too full, and a lot of kids drowned, according to TV Diario Nampula. It tipped over during the trip.
Some people were going to a fair and others were trying to escape from Lunga to the Island of Mozambique because they were scared of getting sick with cholera.
Other news sources reported that Jaime Neto, the secretary of state in Nampula province, said that wrong information about a supposed cholera outbreak made people afraid and they got on a boat, which is usually used for fishing, to leave the area.
Officials in Mozambique and nearby southern African countries are working to stop a serious outbreak of cholera that has been spreading in the last few months.
Many parts of Mozambique can only be reached by boats, and they are usually very full of people. The country has bad roads and there are some places that cannot be reached by land or air.
In a startling turn of events, a ferry has been reported missing on the Afram River, with Member of Parliament for Afram Plains South, Joseph Appiah Boateng, purportedly on board.
The unsettling incident unfolded in the wake of a severe thunderstorm at 7:30 pm on Thursday, as revealed by Agoo FM.
A brief video by Agoo FM depicted cars parked on the ferry, which had departed from Ekyi Amanfrom en route to Adawso.
Later, in an update shared on their Facebook page around 9:45 pm on Thursday, Agoo FM confirmed: “The ferry reported missing has safely arrived at its destination, with no adverse effects on passengers, vehicles, or cargo.”
Accompanying the update was a video capturing the emotional disembarkation of passengers.
The commentary in the video indicated that the pontoon had reached a different landing spot than usual.
Passengers were observed hastily disembarking, with some expressing gratitude to God for a safe landing following the thunderstorm scare.
Details surrounding the disappearance remain scarce as authorities scramble to uncover the fate of the missing ferry and its occupants.
The sudden vanishing has sent shockwaves throughout the region, prompting heightened concerns for the safety and well-being of those aboard.
Watch video below:
Breaking News: Ferry goes missing on Afram River, reportedly with MP for Afram Plains South Joseph Appiah Boateng on board.
After their ship in Turkey was swallowed by a storm, the passengers were left wailing and clinging to their seats.
Due to the erratic weather on Thursday afternoon, passengers on the DO Istanbul Fast Ferries boat reportedly fainted as the normally three-hour trip took more than four hours.
A storm on the Sea of Marmara jolted the boat as it travelled 83 kilometres north from Avşa Island to Istanbul.
A passenger claimed that wind and rain began to batter the boat approximately 15 minutes into the trip and continued for nearly 45 minutes, according to the Turkish newspaper Hürriyet.
They said, “It felt apocalyptic.”
At least four times when waves pounded the boat at around 3 o’clock, the skipper had to tell the passengers to calm down.
His remarks, however, did little to allay passengers’ anxieties as footage captured on board the ferry showed water entering it as passengers struggled to keep themselves from sliding overboard with each nauseating swing.
Waves from the ocean can be seen crashing into the drone as it is propelled up in footage posted by the online meteorological forum Hava Forum.
Fears of the ferry tipping over quickly increased as babies and little children wailed and the boat was forcefully rocked.
On that day, the inland sea was shaken by an earthquake with a magnitude of 3.1, according to the earthquake tracking website Volcano Discovery.
The ferry skipper declared that it was the ‘first time’ he had experienced such a storm in 15 years in his final statement before the boat successfully docked at the Avcilar Terminali port.
Severe motion sickness struck six travellers. There were no injuries recorded.
According to Hürriyet, the storm also caused havoc on a second ferry that was heading from Avşa to the southern Yenikap port.
According to the publication, some passengers “loudly prayed.”
A passenger ferry caught fire in the Philippines, killing at least 28 people.
About 230 people were saved. Officials claimed that it is unknown how the fire started on Wednesday night in the ship’s air-conditioned staterooms.
At least three children, including a baby who was six months old, were among the fatalities.
A precise passenger count wasn’t available, officials earlier stated, thus it was unclear how many individuals were missing. On a manifest, just 205 were mentioned.
According to the Philippine Coast Guard, search and rescue efforts are still ongoing and the ship does not appear to be overloaded.
The initial death toll amounted to less than a dozen people – these were thought to have drowned as they jumped into the water without life jackets.
However authorities then discovered another 18 bodies on the vessel that were “totally burnt”, said Commodore Rejard Marfe of the Coast Guard.
He added that “chaos” resulted when the fire broke out, as most of the passengers were sleeping at the time.
The captain eventually ran the vessel aground so that it would be easier for those onboard to swim to shore.
Authorities said earlier that 14 people were injured and another seven missing.
The MV Lady Mary Joy 3 caught fire around 22:40 local time (14:40 GMT) off Baluk-baluk island in Basilan province. It had been travelling to another island.
Mayor Arsina Kahing-Nanoh told CNN Philippines that one of the rescued passengers said an explosion could be heard before the blaze broke out.
She added that more explosions were heard as the ship ran aground.
The coast guard said it would assist with an investigation and safety assessment, and check for oil spills.
The Philippines, an archipelago of more than 7,600 islands, has a poor maritime safety record.
Vessels are often overcrowded, with many ageing ships still in use.
Last May, at least seven people died after a fire in a high-speed ferry carrying 134 people.
In 1987, around 5,000 people perished in the world’s worst peacetime shipping disaster, when an overloaded passenger ferry collided with an oil tanker off Mindoro island.
