No fewer than 40 passengers have been confirmed dead after a commercial boat capsized in Gummi Local Government Area of Zamfara State.
As gathered, the ill-fated boat conveying the victims capsized in the Bakin Kasuwa River of Uban Dawaki community minutes after leaving the shore.
The Senior Special Assistant to the Governor on Media and Publicity, Sulaiman Idris, who confirmed the incident on Monday, described the incident as a monumental disaster.
He said: “We received the tragic report of a boat accident in Bakin Kasuwa River in Uban Dawaki ward, Gummi Local Government Area, resulting in the loss of over 40 lives.
“The governor has directed the State Emergency Management Agency (SEMA) to embark on immediate rescue and recovery of the dead bodies.
“The governor also directed the agency to take immediate action to assess the extent of the accident and provide urgent assistance,” he added.
Idris added that the governor also directed the Commissioner for Humanitarian and Relief Matters to provide materials to the victims and their families.
“Governor Lawal also prays for the souls of the departed victims, grieved with their families, and assured of the state government’s commitment to prevent such occurrence in the future”.
