A 23-year-old hairdressing apprentice, Hajia Hawa, is missing after being swept into a drain near Swedru’s Mandela Market during heavy rains on Friday, May 22, 2026.

Ghana News Agency (GNA) reported the incident on May 25, 2026, saying the youngest child in her family slipped into the large drain and was carried off by fast-moving floodwaters.

"Hawa was on an errand to buy wigs from a supermarket near the Mandela Market when the incident occurred," her senior sister, Hadiya Mustapha, told GNA.

The Swedru Asafo Company launched a frantic three-day search, but the apprentice is yet to be found.

"The matter was reported to opinion leaders in the community, who quickly organised a search party to retrieve her sister, but all efforts had so far proved unsuccessful," Mustapha added.

Authorities suspect she was washed into the Akora River, which had overflowed its banks during the downpour.

Mustapha thanked the search team and community members for their support throughout the rescue effort.