(Accra, Ghana) – A pall of profound sorrow hangs heavy over the nation today, as the Ghana Education Service confirms the heart-wrenching loss of seven bright students from Lawra Senior High School in the Upper West Region. A tragedy of unimaginable scale unfolded on the morning of Saturday, June 14th, 2025, turning a routine exercise into an enduring nightmare for families, the school community, and the entire country.

The sterile words of the official press release, dated this 16th day of June, 2025, bearing the reference number GES/PR/RELEASE/90 from the headquarters in Accra, can barely contain the sheer devastation of this event. Sixteen young members of the school’s cadet corps, full of youthful energy and promise, set out for a morning jog that led them to the tranquil banks of the Black Volta River, near Dikpe. What happened there has ripped a hole in the fabric of our collective heart.

Ten innocent souls, in a moment of youthful exuberance or perhaps simply seeking a different perspective, decided to brave the waters in a canoe. But fate, in its cruelest form, intervened. Midway across the silent river, the fragile vessel succumbed, plunging these precious lives into the unforgiving depths.

Today, we weep for the seven who did not return: five daughters, Loise Kaati, Florence Kandera, Joyce Kuzare, Evelyn Batumatu, and Munira Abu – names now etched in our national memory as symbols of lost potential. And our hearts ache for the two sons, Maxwell Dampuoideime and Alfred Foyil, whose dreams were so abruptly extinguished. Their laughter silenced, their futures stolen by a capricious twist of fate. Three others were pulled from the water, spared to carry the unimaginable burden of survival and the haunting memory of their lost companions.

The swift response of security agencies and the tireless efforts of the local search team from the Lawra community, the Ghana Police Service, and the school’s management brought a small measure of closure with the retrieval of all seven bodies. Yet, this act of recovery only deepens the wound, making the finality of their absence stark and undeniable.

We are told that one of these cherished souls, a Muslim, has already been laid to rest according to sacred tradition. Tomorrow, Monday, June 16th, the weight of grief will descend further as funeral rites are held for the remaining six, a collective farewell to lives that held so much unfulfilled promise.

As investigations commence, a desperate search for understanding and prevention in the future begins. But today, our focus must remain on the raw, gaping wound left by this tragedy. On the surviving cadets, now on campus, enveloped in the delicate embrace of psychological and emotional support, grappling with a trauma no young heart should ever bear.

The Ghana Education Service offers assurances of a safe learning environment, and while we pray this remains true, the shadow of the Black Volta’s sorrow will linger long. We acknowledge the selfless efforts of all who rushed to help, a testament to our shared humanity in the face of despair.

But today, there are no words that can truly console the bereaved families, the shattered Lawra SHS community, and all who are touched by this profound loss. We can only stand in solidarity, offering our deepest condolences and holding them close in our thoughts and prayers.

May the gentle souls of Loise, Florence, Joyce, Evelyn, Munira, Maxwell, and Alfred find eternal peace in the embrace of the Almighty. Their bright lights may have been extinguished too soon, but their memory will forever flow through the heart of Ghana, a river of tears marking a sorrow we will never forget