A joint burial service was yesterday held for 11 of the 13 teenagers who drowned while swimming in the sea at Apam in the Central Region.
The deceased aged between 12 and 17 lost their lives on Sunday, March 7, 2021, throwing the Apam town into a state of shock and mourning.
One of the deceased was buried immediately after the disaster while one other body is yet to be identified.
Yesterday, there was sadness and uncontrollable tears from family members of the 11 teenagers who were present to observe the solemn exercise.
Friends and sympathisers of the deceased also shed irrepressible tears as they were being laid to rest.
The perished souls were buried after the joint burial service organized in the community by local authorities.
According to a statement by the District Chief Executive for Gomoa West, Bismark Baisie Nkum, the 13 dead bodies were retrieved from the sea along the coastal communities of Gomoa Abrekum, Gomoa Mankoadze and Apam.
Two of deceased were females and 11 were males and again, two of the victims were residents of Gomoa Ankamu (Apam Junction) and 11 were residents of Apam.
Some family members at the premises of the St. Luke Catholic Hospital in Apam said they would miss their loved ones following the tragedy.
The traditional council in the area on Monday, performed rites to pacify the sea gods following claims that the victim’s defied them.
The funeral had earlier been slated for March 11, 2021, few days after they were rescued from the Apam waters.
However, the Gomoa West Security Council explained that it was postponed to March 16, 2021 due to the rituals, which needed to be undertaken before the burial.
Akufo-Addo Donates GH¢36,000 To Bereaved Families, Chiefs
Ahead of the burial service, President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo donated an amount of GH¢36,000 to chiefs and elders of Apam as well as the families of the teenagers.
The donation was made on behalf of the President by the Minister of Fisheries and Aquaculture, Mavis Hawa Koomson (MP), and the Central Regional Minister, Mrs. Justina Marigold Assan.
Out of the amount, GH¢20,000 went to the bereaved families, while GH¢10,000 was presented to the chiefs and elders towards the traditional rites relating to the burial of 12 departed youngsters.
President expressed his “deepest condolences” to the families of the teenagers, stating that the sad event, which caught the attention of the entire nation, had been a great source of worry and trying moment for the affected families and all Ghanaians.
