At least 15 drown in Ghana boat capsize - boatmen

ACCRA, Sep 5 (Reuters) At least 15 people, seven of them children, died after their boat capsized in a storm on Ghana's Lake Volta, one of the world's largest reservoirs, boat owners in the West African country said today.

The vessel was travelling across the lake, which covers 8,500 square km or more than three times the area of Luxembourg, to the town of Yeji on Sunday when a sudden rainstorm flooded the engine.

''There were 35 people on board, including children,'' said Sonny Brown, secretary of the boat owners' association in Yeji.

''It started to rain ... water entered the engine, it ceased to work. The boat became full of water, 15 people died, and 20 survived. They have recovered the bodies,'' he said, adding that the search for more victims was continuing.

Police officials declined to comment, saying they were waiting for more information from the scene.

About 120 people were feared drowned in April after a boat packed with passengers and goods capsized after hitting a stump on Lake Volta.

Boat accidents are frequent in Africa. Many of the vessels plying trade and passenger routes on lakes and off the continent's coasts are poorly maintained and lack accurate passenger records.

REUTERS MS KP1840