Boat mishap claims 29 lives in Niger State, 50 rescued

Two passengers still missing as rescue efforts continue

By Wole Mosadomi, Minna

No fewer than 29 people have been confirmed dead in a boat mishap that occurred in Gausawa, Malale Ward of Borgu Local Government Area, Niger State, on Tuesday.

The ill-fated boat, which reportedly conveyed about 90 passengers, capsized after colliding with a tree stump. Local divers and residents immediately launched rescue operations, saving 50 passengers and recovering 29 bodies from the river. Two other passengers remain missing.

Confirming the incident, the Director General of the Niger State Emergency Management Agency (NSEMA), Alhaji Abdullahi Baba Arah, said the boat departed from Tungan Sule in Shagunun Ward and was heading to Dugga village when the accident occurred around 11:30 a.m.

“The cause was attributed to overloading and collision with a tree stump. Search and rescue operations are still in progress for possible recovery of the missing persons,” Arah stated.

The tragedy comes barely five weeks after a similar mishap on July 27, when a boat conveying 39 passengers from Guni to the weekly Zumba market on River Kaduna capsized, killing 13 people while 26 were rescued.

Meanwhile, local divers and emergency officials are continuing efforts to recover the missing passengers in Tuesday’s incident.

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