Zoil averts another disaster on Volta Lake
BY EDMUND SMITH-ASANTE
Lifeguards working with Zoil Services Ltd, averted another major disaster on the Volta Lake when one of the out-board motors on a boat carrying passengers caught fire.
The Zoil lifeguards took immediate action in putting out the fire, thereby preventing the loss of lives and properties that could have occurred on October 20, 2011 as a boat named ‘Akpeho’ and carrying over thirty passengers was sailing from Torkor Aboatosia to Kpala in the Volta Region.
The boat had on board 15 men, 13 women and four children, while investigations into the accident revealed that there were only 23 life jackets on the boat before it sailed.
The Zoil lifeguards who were stationed on that particular route, upon seeing the fire outbreak and imminent danger moved quickly to put the situation under control as there was some scramble for life jackets and pandemonium and loss of lives could have been inevitable. The lifeguards’ quick reaction averted casualties.
The cause of the accident is still under investigations.
In an interview with the Zoil Coordinator, Ex-Chief Christian Budu, he said that since its inception, the Zoil lifeguards have been rescuing passengers on the Volta Lake in the Eastern, Volta and Northern Regions on daily basis.
He said the guards in recent times have rescued passengers in major accidents that occurred in Akateng in the Eastern Region and Katare in the Kpandai District of the Northern Region. In the accident that occurred at the Kpandai District, over two hundred lives and large tons of properties were rescued when the boat capsized on the Lake on July 14, 2010.
The Volta Lake Transport Enhancement Project is another venture initiated by Zoil Services Limited and the Transportation Ministry to ensure the safety of passengers on the Volta Lake and is to ensure that boats meet the necessary safety measures and are in good condition before they carry lives and properties across the lake.
It is also to put in place security measures to ensure that boats that carry passengers are not over-loaded, as the act of over-loading has been identified as a major cause of accidents on the lake.
 |
| Living dangerously on the Volta Lake |
Lifeguards working with Zoil Services Ltd, averted another major disaster on the Volta Lake when one of the out-board motors on a boat carrying passengers caught fire.
The Zoil lifeguards took immediate action in putting out the fire, thereby preventing the loss of lives and properties that could have occurred on October 20, 2011 as a boat named ‘Akpeho’ and carrying over thirty passengers was sailing from Torkor Aboatosia to Kpala in the Volta Region.
The boat had on board 15 men, 13 women and four children, while investigations into the accident revealed that there were only 23 life jackets on the boat before it sailed.
The Zoil lifeguards who were stationed on that particular route, upon seeing the fire outbreak and imminent danger moved quickly to put the situation under control as there was some scramble for life jackets and pandemonium and loss of lives could have been inevitable. The lifeguards’ quick reaction averted casualties.
The cause of the accident is still under investigations.
In an interview with the Zoil Coordinator, Ex-Chief Christian Budu, he said that since its inception, the Zoil lifeguards have been rescuing passengers on the Volta Lake in the Eastern, Volta and Northern Regions on daily basis.
He said the guards in recent times have rescued passengers in major accidents that occurred in Akateng in the Eastern Region and Katare in the Kpandai District of the Northern Region. In the accident that occurred at the Kpandai District, over two hundred lives and large tons of properties were rescued when the boat capsized on the Lake on July 14, 2010.
The Volta Lake Transport Enhancement Project is another venture initiated by Zoil Services Limited and the Transportation Ministry to ensure the safety of passengers on the Volta Lake and is to ensure that boats meet the necessary safety measures and are in good condition before they carry lives and properties across the lake.
It is also to put in place security measures to ensure that boats that carry passengers are not over-loaded, as the act of over-loading has been identified as a major cause of accidents on the lake.
Comments
Post a Comment