Residents of Kasseh in the Ada East District have renewed calls for stricter safety measures around household wells after a young man tragically died in an accident while attempting to fetch water.
The victim, believed to be in his 20s, reportedly fell into a well on Tuesday afternoon when the cement slab covering it suddenly collapsed as he tried to draw water to take a bath.
Eyewitnesses said the concrete cover broke and plunged into the well along with the victim, trapping him inside and preventing him from escaping.
According to residents who spoke to the Ghana News Agency, it took rescuers nearly an hour to retrieve the young man from the well after the incident was reported.
Community members said he was still breathing when he was finally pulled out, but he died while being rushed to the hospital.
The incident has left many residents shaken and has sparked renewed concerns about the dangers posed by old or poorly secured wells in the area.
Several residents blamed the tragedy on the failure of property owners to properly cover or maintain wells on their premises, describing the situation as a serious safety risk.
They explained that the Ghana National Fire Service and the local assembly member were contacted immediately after the accident, although the rescue process took some time to complete.
Commenting on the incident, Mr Ebenezer Tetteh Kpodo described the death as unfortunate and noted that many wells in the community were old and in need of reconstruction or reinforcement.
He urged residents to help authorities identify dangerous wells by reporting them to his office.
Mr Kpodo also encouraged community members to take photographs or videos of unsafe wells and share them with local authorities so that appropriate action could be taken against owners who fail to secure them properly.
Residents say they hope the tragedy will prompt stronger enforcement of safety measures to prevent similar incidents in the future.
