No fewer than four passengers have been confirmed to have died, and scores of others have been declared missing after a wooden commercial boat capsized on the waterways in Plateau State.
The victims were said to have drowned when the wooden canoe carrying them capsized following a strong current during a routine journey in Wase axis of the state.
The incident occurred yesterday at the Fajul River in Langtang South Local Government Area of Plateau State, with the canoe operated by 35-year-old Nankpak Danladi, and was heading towards Wase when it overturned.
After the incident, local divers were said to have been mobilised with the support of security agencies, launching a search and rescue operation.
A resident of the community, Musa Luka, described the accident as heartbreaking, saying we have lost four souls in the river, and families are grieving while we wait for the divers to complete the search.
Another community elder, who spoke under anonymity, urged authorities to enhance safety measures for the area’s waterways.
“This is not the first time such an incident has happened here. We need life jackets and proper monitoring of river transport to prevent future deaths,” he told reporters.
Rescue officials from NEMA confirmed that the search would continue until all the victims are found and handed over to their families for burial.
