Many passengers have been feared dead following a boat mishap in Shiroro Local Government Area of Niger State.
The incident occurred on Saturday, according to the Niger State Emergency Management Agency (NSEMA).
In a statement on Sunday, NSEMA’s Director of Information and Special Duties, Ibrahim Hussaini, stated that the boat, carrying an unspecified number of passengers and goods to Kwata, Zumba Market, capsized mid-river.
Hussaini noted that the boat operator and a few passengers were rescued, with one currently receiving treatment at the General Hospital in Kuta.
According to him, the number of casualties could not yet be confirmed as search and rescue operations were ongoing at the time of filing this report.
“The Agency received a report of a boat mishap which occurred yesterday. A boat loaded with commodities and an unknown number of passengers heading to Kwata Zumba market capsized along the route,” the statement read.
According to the agency, the operation was conducted by NSEMA desk officers in collaboration with local divers and volunteers.
Such river accidents are, unfortunately, common in Nigeria. In November 2024, at least 27 people died when a boat capsized on the Niger River in central Nigeria.
The boat was carrying about 200 passengers from the state of Kogi to a food market in the neighbouring state of Niger when it capsized late on November 29, with more than half reportedly missing, according to Ibrahim Audu, a spokesman for the Niger State Emergency Management Agency.
Rescuers had managed to pull 27 bodies from the river while local divers were still searching for the missing passengers, according to the spokesperson for the Kogi State Emergency Services, Sandra Musa.
Credit: channelstv.com
