The death toll in the Niger boat accident has reached 30, with 58 persons rescued so far, the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) has said.
The incident occurred on Tuesday in Gausawa community, Borgu Local Government Area of Niger State.
NEMA in a statement on Thursday said rescue efforts are, however, still ongoing over the incident which happened on Tuesday in Gausawa community, Borgu Local Government Area of Niger State.
“Witnesses at the scene of the incident revealed that about 90 persons were onboard the ill-fated vessel,” the agency said about the accident, which left several families grieving.
“So far, 58 passengers have been rescued, while over 30 lives have been lost as one additional body was recovered this afternoon. Several other passengers remain unaccounted for, with search and rescue efforts still ongoing.”
According to investigations, the most recent boat incident was “caused by overloading of the vessel, compounded by a collision with a tree stump along the water channel.”
NEMA’s Director General, Zubaida Umar, has directed the agency’s Minna Operations Office to intensify the ongoing rescue efforts.
The Niger State Emergency Management Agency (NSEMA) is leading the rescue operation with other stakeholders, including National Inland Waterways Authority (NIWA), Hydroelectric Power Producing Areas Development Commission (HYPPADEC), Nigerian Red Cross Society (NRCS), and local divers and community volunteers
NIWA’s General Manager (Business Development), Olawale Adetola, lamented the fatalities recorded in the country in recent times due to boat accidents.
He expressed the authorities’ condolences to the people of Niger and stated that NIWA is doing all it can to ensure safety on waterways.
This incident adds to the growing number of boat accidents in Nigeria in recent months.
In August, rescue workers said they were searching for more than 40 people after a boat accident in Sokoto.
Experts have blamed poor regulation and non-adherence to safety measures as some of the causes of the frequent incidents.
