Around 40 people lost their lives in a tragic boat accident on Saturday in Gummi town, the headquarters of Gummi Local Government Area in Zamfara State.
The Director of Emergency at the Zamfara State Emergency Management Agency (ZEMA), Hassan Dauran, informed that the boat was carrying approximately 50 passengers when the accident occurred. Only a few survivors were rescued at the time, while most of the victims, primarily women and children, did not survive.
According to eyewitnesses, the passengers were heading to their farms early Saturday morning when the boat capsized and sank. There were reportedly 53 farmers, including children, onboard, and only 12 people, including the boat’s captain, were rescued alive, while the remaining 41 passengers tragically perished.
The Emir of Gummi, Justice Hassan Lawal (retired), expressed his condolences to the families of the victims. He described the incident as a profound tragedy and prayed for Allah to forgive the souls of the deceased and grant their families the strength to endure their loss.
This incident is the latest in a series of devastating boat accidents in Nigeria, which have claimed numerous lives in recent months. Just two days prior, two people drowned in a boat mishap in the Ipoki Local Government Area of Ogun State. On August 8, five people died in a canoe accident in Taura Local Government Area, Jigawa State, when a canoe carrying 20 passengers capsized while crossing the Gamoda River.
In a similar incident on July 8, one person died while 18 others were rescued from a boat accident on the Kwalgai River in Auyo Local Government Area, Jigawa State. Additionally, in April, a boat mishap claimed the life of Nollywood actor Junior Pope Odonwodo while leaving a film location, a tragedy that shook Nigeria’s entertainment industry.