9 schoolchildren drown in Ghana

At least nine schoolchildren drowned after a boat carrying them capsized in a river in Accra, the Ghanaian capital, an official confirmed Thursday.

Seji Saji Amedonu, deputy director-general of the National Disaster Management Organization, told Xinhua that the children drowned late Wednesday in the Densu River on their way from school.

According to the official, the bodies of the deceased were sent to the Korle Bu Teaching Hospital mortuary and the boat owner is in police custody to assist in investigations.

In March, a boat capsized in Ghana's Volta River, leaving five residents dead.