Three persons were reported missing after a wooden passenger boat was gutted by fire shortly after taking off at Katcha community in Katcha Local Government Area of Niger State on Friday.
According to Abdulmalik Adamu, an eyewitness, the event occurred at 6 p.m., shortly after the boat finished loading goods and passengers returning to their villages during the weekly Katcha market day.
According to him, the boat operator was running the engine when it caught fire, forcing the passengers to flee for safety.
Confirming the incident, the leader of the boat operators in Katcha, Dangana Boat, did not disclose the cause of the fire but said the boat was burnt to ashes along with goods worth millions of naira. He confirmed that three persons who are mostly children are yet to be accounted for.
Local divers at the boat dock helped in evacuating some of the victims and quickly distancing the burning boat away from others.
The boat was ferrying passengers to Zakanti, Danbo and other riverine communities in Katcha and Agaie Local Government Areas of Niger State.