Over 100 persons are reported to have died after a boat conveying over 180 passengers capsized.
The boat took off from Loko Mina in Niger State at about 7.30 a.m. Wednesday, heading to a market in Kebbi State but as at 6.30 p.m, only 20 passengers had been rescued while four corpses had been recovered after it capsized.
The cause of the accident was the overloading of the boat and its old age, reports claim.
The Director General of the Niger State Emergency Management Agency (NSEMA), Alhaji Ibrahim Ahmed Inga, confirmed the incident, adding that “search and rescue operation is on going by the Marine police, NIWA and our local divers.”
Recall that three weeks ago, tragedy also struck when a boat in which some 100 villagers were traveling capsized, leading to the death of 28 passengers. Some other passengers in the ill-fated boat are still missing.
President Muhammadu Buhari has reacted to the sad development, in a statement issued by his spokesman, Garba Shehu.
“While efforts are ongoing to recover more survivors, the President extends his gratitude to all those involved in the rescue efforts and wishes those injured from the accident quick recovery,” the statement partly read.
According to the President’s spokesman, there are indications that the boat was overloaded and there is no official confirmation on the number of casualties.
