Forty persons died on Sunday when a boat capsized in the Gummi Local Government Area (LGA) of Zamfara State.
The incident occurred when the boat lost control on the Bakin Kasuwa River in the Uban Dawaki Ward of Gummi LGA.
Governor Dauda Lawal expressed deep sorrow over the accident, calling it a monumental disaster.
The statement also noted that the Zamfara State Emergency Management Agency (ZEMA) has been instructed to immediately initiate rescue and recovery efforts.
“We woke up to the tragic report of a boat accident in Bakin Kasuwa River in Uban Dawaki ward, Gummi local government area, resulting in the loss of over 40 lives.
“Governor Lawal has directed the Zamfara State Emergency Management Agency (ZEMA) to take immediate action to assess the extent of the accident and provide urgent assistance following the unfortunate incident.
“The governor also instructed the Commissioner for Humanitarian and Relief Matters to coordinate all efforts to provide immediate relief support to the victims and their families.
“Governor Lawal prayed for the souls of the departed victims, grieved with families, and assured of the state government’s commitment to prevent such occurrences in the future,” said the governor’s spokesman Sulaiman Idris.