The National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) has confirmed that 30 people have died in the Niger boat accident, while 58 passengers have been rescued so far.
In a statement on Thursday, NEMA explained that the accident occurred on Tuesday in Gausawa community, Borgu Local Government Area of Niger State, and that search and rescue operations remain ongoing.
“Witnesses revealed that about 90 people were onboard the ill-fated vessel. So far, 58 passengers have been rescued, while over 30 lives have been lost as another body was recovered this afternoon. Several passengers remain unaccounted for, with rescue efforts still in progress,” the agency stated.
Investigations showed that the accident resulted from overloading, worsened by a collision with a tree stump along the water channel.
NEMA’s Director General, Zubaida Umar, has instructed the agency’s Minna Operations Office to intensify rescue efforts. The Niger State Emergency Management Agency (NSEMA) is leading the operation, supported by the National Inland Waterways Authority (NIWA), Hydroelectric Power Producing Areas Development Commission (HYPPADEC), the Nigerian Red Cross Society (NRCS), local divers, and community volunteers.
NIWA’s General Manager for Business Development, Olawale Adetola, expressed concern over the lack of adherence to safety rules on waterways.
“We are tired of hearing about these fatalities. We have conducted sensitisation for boat operators and distributed life jackets, but many people ignore safety regulations,” he said on The Morning Brief on Thursday.
Tuesday’s mishap adds to the growing number of boat accidents in Nigeria. Last month, more than 40 people were reported missing after a boat mishap in Sokoto. About a year earlier, 16 farmers died when their canoe capsized on the way to rice fields in the same state.
Experts have attributed the frequent accidents to weak regulation and disregard for safety measures.