A five-year-old girl has drowned after reportedly falling into an uncovered borehole at Ansaful in Winneba in the Central Region.

The incident occurred on Thursday evening, September 3, 2026, while a one-week programme was ongoing at a nearby Christ Apostolic Church.

The child was reportedly declared missing around 5 p.m., prompting relatives and residents to begin a search for her in the area.

The search led to the discovery of one of her slippers near the borehole, while the other was found inside the facility, raising suspicion that she may have fallen into it.

In a statement dated September 4, 2026, by the Ghana National Fire Service, the victim's father, Francis Zewu, rushed to the station to report the incident at about 1957 hours.

A team of four firefighters led by STNO I Anthony McCarthy was dispatched at 2016 hours and arrived at 2032 hours to find family and church members gathered at the scene.

"The 12-foot-deep manhole was uncovered and filled with water," the statement said.

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Personnel from the Ghana National Fire Service (GNFS) were called to the scene to pump out water from the borehole to facilitate the recovery operation.

According to the GNFS Public Relations Officer, ADO 1 Kwasi Attifah, the girl’s body was eventually found inside the borehole and retrieved with the assistance of a ladder.

The Ghana Police Service and the National Disaster Management Organisation (NADMO) also assisted in the recovery operation.

The body was subsequently handed over to the police for conveyance to the mortuary.

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