A man believed to be in his 20s tragically lost his life on Tuesday afternoon after falling into a well while fetching water for his bath in Kasseh.
Eyewitnesses said the cement slab covering the well suddenly gave way as the young man stood on it to draw water. The slab fell in with him, pinning him beneath it and making it impossible for him to free himself or reach the surface.
Residents described the scene as horrifying. Community members quickly alerted the Ghana National Fire Service and the local assembly member, but the rescue effort took nearly an hour due to the depth of the well and the weight of the collapsed concrete.
The victim was still breathing when he was finally pulled out, but he sadly died on the way to the hospital.
The incident has left the Kasseh community in deep shock and renewed fears about the safety of old, poorly maintained wells scattered across the area. Many residents blamed property owners for failing to secure or regularly inspect their wells, allowing dangerous conditions to persist.
Assembly Member for the Kasseh Electoral Area, Mr Ebenezer Tetteh Kpodo, described the death as unfortunate and preventable. He noted that several wells in the community are old and in urgent need of reconstruction or proper reinforcement.
He appealed to residents to report unsafe wells by taking photographs or videos and sending them to his office so authorities can identify owners and enforce necessary safety measures.
Local leaders and community members are now calling for stronger surveillance of domestic wells and boreholes, stricter enforcement against negligent property owners, and public education on basic safety precautions around water sources.
Police have been notified and are investigating the incident, though initial indications point to structural failure of the outdated cover rather than foul play.
