No fewer than 27 people have been confirmed dead and over 100 others declared missing after a commercial boat capsized along the Dambo-Ebuchi sections of River Niger in Niger State.
It was learnt that the boat, which belonged to one Musa Dangana, was conveying over 200 passengers, including market women and farm labourers, enroute to the Katcha weekly market in Niger State.
Tragically, it capsized, throwing all on board into the water. Rescue efforts are underway with local divers working to recover the bodies of the victims.
The deceased were the bodies recovered, while search and rescue operations continued to locate the remaining passengers.
The Niger State Emergency Management Agency spokesman, Ibrahim Audu, confirmed the boat capsized in the state.
Rescues managed to pull 27 bodies from the river by Friday evening while local divers were still searching for others, according to Sandra Musa, spokeswoman for the Kogi state emergency services.
According to her, No survivor was found about 12 hours after the tragic incident occurred on the river.
According to Justin Uwazuruonye, who is in charge of Nigeria’s National Emergency Management Agency operations in the state, rescuers had trouble finding the location of the capsizing for hours after Friday’s tragedy struck.
This tragic incident comes just months after a similar one occurred on the Muwo Gbajibo River in Mokwa Local Government Area of Niger State on October 1, 2024, resulting in the loss of many lives.
Preliminary reports indicate that none of the passengers were wearing life jackets at the time of the accident which may have contributed to the high number of casualties.
The authorities have yet to release an official statement about the most recent incident, but an investigation is expected to be launched to determine the cause of the accident.
Nigeria has recorded several boat accidents in the last year, leading to several deaths.
Last week, five persons died and others were wounded when a boat accident occurred in the Warri South Local Government Area of Delta State.
The tragic incident involved a collision between two speedboats conveying family members returning from a burial ceremony.
The collision caused the boats to capsize, plunging passengers, who were mostly without life jackets, into the water.
