A boat carrying vehicles and passengers to cross the River Namnai along Jalingo-Wukari Highway in Gasol local government area of Taraba State capsized on Friday with three persons losing their lives to the incident.
LEADERSHIP gathered that vehicles and luggage belonging to the passengers also sank in the unfortunate incident which occurred around 7:45pm on Friday.
Chairman of Gasol LGA, Hon. Abubakar Sadique, and chairman of Taraba State Inland Water Transporters, Jidda Mayoreniyo confirmed the incident while speaking with our correspondent on the phone.
Our correspondent also gathered that four vehicles and luggage worth millions of naira sank while drivers of the vehicles and owners of the luggages were seen looking helplessly while awaiting their properties.
Rescuers were also seen inside the water in search of the properties, while efforts were ongoing to evacuate the four vehicles from the river.
One of the drivers, Mallam Abdul Kaifa told our correspondent that this was the second time his vehicle would fall into the river since the collapse of the bridge last year.
“Last year September, exactly on the 17th, my vehicle fell inside this water, it took efforts of the youths to remove it for me within three days.
“Yesterday again, the same vehicle fell inside the water, when I removed it from the water last time, I spent not less than N340,000 to bring it back on the road, I’m yet to pay the debt, today, it falls into the river once again, I don’t know how am going to cope with the situation,” Kaifa recounted in Hausa language.
Bodies of the deceased were already identified and evacuated for burial at the time our correspondent visited the collapse bridge.
The Namnai Bridge collapsed in August 2024, causing hardship for the people of the area and travellers on the highway.
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