Niger Boat Tragedy: Death Toll Rises to 60 after Overloaded Vessel Capsizes
- The death toll from the Niger State boat accident has risen to 60, with women and children among the victims
- The vessel, carrying over 90 passengers for a condolence visit, capsized after colliding with a tree stump at Malale riverfront
- Rescue operations continue, with survivors still being treated and local authorities confirming mass burials for the deceased
The number of casualties from the boat accident at Malale riverfront in Borgu Local Government Area of Niger State has risen to 60, authorities confirmed on Tuesday.
The ill-fated boat had departed from Tugan Sule in Shagunu ward with about 90 passengers on board, including women and children, who were heading to Dugga for a condolence visit.
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The vessel reportedly struck a tree stump after being overloaded, leading to the fatal mishap.
More bodies recovered after boat capsizes
Initial reports from the Niger State Emergency Management Agency (NSEMA) put the death toll at 29, with 50 rescued alive and two still missing. However, subsequent updates by local officials placed the figure at 60.
Abdullahi Baba Ara, Chairman of Borgu LGA, said the toll was rising as more bodies were recovered.
“Ten people are in serious condition and many are still being sought,” he disclosed.
Sa’adu Inuwa Muhammad, the district head of Shagumi, said he was present during recovery efforts.
“The boat carried more than 100 people. We recovered 31 corpses from the river. The boat was also retrieved,” he recounted.
He added that four of the victims had been buried in line with Islamic rites, noting that women and children were most affected.
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The NSEMA Director General, Abdullahi Baba-Arah, confirmed that search and rescue operations were ongoing.
“The cause was overloading and collision with a tree stump. Efforts are still underway to recover the missing persons,” he said.
Tragedy in Borgu as boat carrying 90 passengers sinks
Legit.ng previously reported that at least 29 people had lost their lives in another boat accident in Niger state, throwing several riverine communities into mourning.
The tragedy occurred on Tuesday at Gausawa, Borgu Local Government Area, when a vessel carrying more than 90 passengers capsized mid-journey.
According to officials, the victims, mostly women and children, were traveling from Tugan Sule in Shagunu ward to Dugga community for a condolence visit.
The boat reportedly collided with a submerged tree stump after being overloaded, leading to the disaster around 11.30am
The Niger State Emergency Management Agency (NSEMA) confirmed that 29 bodies had been recovered as of Wednesday morning, while 50 passengers were rescued alive.
Two persons were still unaccounted for when rescue workers ended operations for the day.
NSEMA Director General, Abdullahi Baba-Arah, said the agency received a distress call from its desk officer in Borgu who immediately mobilised search and rescue teams.
He explained that the scale of the tragedy could have been reduced if safety measures were followed.
3 farmers die as overloaded boat capsizes
Earlier, Legit.ng reported that three farmers were confirmed dead after a boat accident in Kubo ward of Shani Local Government Area, Borno state.
The incident happened on Monday morning while the victims and other farmers were heading to their farmlands across River Kubo.
The National Emergency Management Agency, North-East office, said the boat was conveying 20 farmers when it capsized as a result of overloading.
Source: Legit.ng
