Kpetoe: Girl, 6, drowns in pond

A six-year-old girl lost her life on Sunday, February 1, 2026, after drowning in an irrigation pond at Sonitra, a suburb of Kpetoe in the Volta Region. What was meant to be a routine weekend chore for Sarah Ahiafor tragically turned fatal.

Preliminary reports from the Ghana National Fire Service (GNFS) indicate that Sarah had gone to the pond with a group of children to wash clothes. The water body, described as “pond-like” and mainly used for irrigation, reportedly became dangerous when the young girl slipped into its deep section and could not escape.

The Kpetoe Fire Station received an emergency call around 1:40 p.m., prompting a swift response from a rescue team led by Assistant Station Officer David Dzakah. Sarah was recovered from the water, but despite immediate attempts to resuscitate her, the young girl could not be revived.

In a statement on Monday, February 2, the GNFS Volta Regional Command confirmed that the children were unsupervised at the time of the accident. The service used the incident to issue a cautionary message to parents and guardians about the hazards of open water bodies, particularly during the dry season when children often frequent ponds and irrigation sites for chores or recreation.

“The GNFS advises parents and guardians to ensure that children do not visit or engage in activities around ponds, irrigation sites, and other open water bodies without adult supervision,” the statement emphasized.

Sarah’s body has been handed over to the Ghana Police Service for preservation at a mortuary, and investigations into the precise circumstances surrounding her death are ongoing.

The GNFS extended its deepest condolences to the Ahiafor family, describing the incident as a “preventable tragedy” and calling for a community-wide effort to monitor children and safeguard them from water-related hazards.

This incident has reignited calls for vigilance and safety measures around irrigation ponds and similar water bodies across the Volta Region. It serves as a sobering reminder of the dangers open water sites pose to unsupervised children, and the urgent need for constant adult supervision.