Seven JHS students drown in Oti River upon returning from head teacher's rice farm

• Police in Saboba district have confirmed the deaths of seven students in the Northern Region
• The students drowned as their boats capsized in the Oti River
• The students were returning from the rice farm of their principal

Seven pupils at St Charles Liwanga Junior High School in Saboba District, Northern Region are feared dead after one of their boats capsized in the Oti River.

Three of them have not been found. The search team is looking for them right now. Thirty-three students were returning from the principal's farm when the disaster struck.

The students had gone with the headmaster to harvest rice in Butuin, an overseas community. Confirming the accident to JoyNews, Saboba Police Commander ASP Shine Zoiku said paramedics were able to rescue 21 survivors and found seven drowning.

Read also

NPP national conference: Eight arrested for breaking protocol

He said unconfirmed reports indicated that the boat was overcrowded, which was why the accident happened. ASP Zoiku said police had launched an investigation into the accident.

He said the bodies were currently at the Saboba police station awaiting transfer to Yendi Hospital for safekeeping.

Meanwhile, the headmaster's brother, David Takah, told JoyNews that the family did not know his whereabouts at the moment, as efforts to locate him had failed.

Source: YEN.com.gh