At least 27 people have died and more than 100, including women, are missing after a boat capsized off the Niger River in central Nigeria, the local emergency management agency said Friday. A spokesman for the National Inland Waterways Authority said the accident occurred late Thursday night when the boat, carrying mostly traders from the Misa community in central Kogi state, was en route to a weekly market in neighboring Niger state.
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According to sources, Kogi State Emergency Management Agency spokesperson Sandra Moses said the final death toll in the accident would be known only after the search and rescue operations are over. “So far, 27 bodies have been recovered, but the rescue operation is still going on,” Musa said. The spokesperson said that none of the passengers were wearing life jackets, which significantly increased the risk of death.
no one found alive
According to an AP report, there were about 200 passengers on board the boat. Musa said rescue teams had managed to pull out 27 bodies from the river by Friday, but no survivors were found even nearly 12 hours after the incident.
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It is still unclear what caused the sinking, but local media reports suggested that overloading may have been the cause. Notably, overcrowding and overloading of boats is common in remote areas of Nigeria, where many people have no alternative routes due to the lack of good roads.
It is necessary to mention here that such incidents are becoming a matter of concern for the most populous African country. Most of the accidents have occurred due to overcrowding, while safety measures and rules for water transport have not been properly implemented.
More than 100 people died in a similar incident
Earlier in May 2021, more than 100 people were missing and feared dead after a boat carrying over 165 passengers, including women and children, capsized and sank in Nigeria. 22 people were rescued. According to officials, the boat was traveling in Nigeria’s northern Kebbi state when the accident occurred.
