A 17-year-old student of Nkwanta Senior High School has drowned at Gyelen Bridge in the Bontibor farming community in the Oti Region.

The tragic incident occurred on Monday afternoon while the student was returning from the farm.

The bridge, which was constructed just a year ago, collapsed following recent torrential rains.

Residents have long complained that inferior materials were used in the project, raising concerns about its structural integrity, but no corrective action was taken.

Assembly Member for the Bontibor/Salifukrom Electoral Area, Frank Yeboah, blamed the tragedy on poor construction and negligence by the contractor.

“This disaster was caused by shoddy work.

If the bridge had been built properly, we would not have lost this young life,” he said.

Mr. Yeboah appealed to the government and relevant agencies to urgently construct a new, durable bridge to ensure the safety of residents and facilitate the transport of farm produce to market centres.

He further highlighted the broader difficulties facing the community, noting that limited access to healthcare has become a major challenge.

Pregnant women and sick residents, he explained, are often unable to reach nearby hospitals due to the poor state of infrastructure.

The death of the student has sparked renewed calls for accountability and urgent intervention to address unsafe public projects in rural communities.