A five-year-old girl has lost her life after she fell into an uncovered, water-filled manhole at Ansaful, near the Christ Apostolic Church in Winneba on Thursday, September 3.

According to the Ghana National Fire Service (GNFS), in a Facebook post on Sunday, September 6, the manhole was approximately 12 feet deep. However, the events that led to the drowning have yet to be disclosed by the GNFS.

Ghana has recorded a number of child drowning incidents over the years, highlighting persistent concerns about the safety of uncovered manholes, drains and other water-filled structures.

The recent incident comes months after a similar tragedy in the Greater Accra Region. In July, the body of an 11-year-old boy was found at Adenta Aviation following a search and recovery operation led by personnel from the Adenta Fire Station.

Last year, a six-year-old boy, Godfred Aboagye, in Kasoa Wallantu, tragically lost his life after he drowned in an open-water storage tank in a desperate effort to retrieve his football. The incident, which occurred on Monday, December 29, 2025, has left the Kasoa community in grief.

In a statement, the Ghana National Fire Service disclosed that a specialised rescue team was immediately dispatched to the scene after receiving a distress call at 5:03 p.m.

According to the statement, signed by Divisional Officer Grade II (DO II) Abdul Wasiu Hudu, the Central Regional PRO of the GNFS, the unfortunate incident could have been prevented if the open pits tank was covered.

“GNFS strongly cautions parents, guardians, and property owners to ensure that all water storage facilities, tanks, wells, and pits are securely covered, particularly in homes where children are present,” the statement read.

While Ghana has some drowning prevention initiatives, such as regional lifejacket policies, critical measures like water safety education in schools and community rescue training remain limited.

The lack of flood risk management strategies further exacerbates the issue. Globally, drowning remains a significant public health issue. The first-ever Global Status Report on Drowning Prevention by the World Health Organization (WHO) details progress made in addressing drowning fatalities worldwide.

The report notes that the global drowning death rate declined by 38 percent between 2000 and 2021. However, more than 300,000 fatalities were still recorded in 2021, underscoring the severity of the problem.

In June this year, some seven students from Lawra Senior High School (SHS) lost their lives after the boat they were travelling on capsized on the Black Volta River at Dikpe.

The unfortunate incident that claimed the lives of five girls and two boys occurred on Saturday, June 14, during a routine morning jogging exercise.Per reports, the group of 10, part of the school’s cadet corps, was attempting to cross in an overloaded boat.

Three other students were rescued and provided medical care as well as psychological support. According to reports, early morning jogging is a regular activity for the cadet team; however, the rationale behind the group’s attempt to cross the river remains unclear.