12 people have been confirmed dead in the boat mishap which occurred in Duga Mashaya around Tungan Leda in Shagunu District, Borgu local government area of Niger State.
Sources from the community hinted that no fewer than ten bodies were recovered as of yesterday afternoon while a search and rescue operation was ongoing to recover the two remaining bodies.
A villager, Farouk Umar said 80 other passengers on board the boat when the mishap occurred on Monday afternoon were rescued safely.
Another villager Safiya Umar said those who survived including her niece were receiving medical attention at New Bussa General Hospital.
Investigation by LEADERSHIP revealed that the mishap was caused by overloading of the mechanically faulty boat while the operator disregarded the warning to overload the board without live jackets.
The Niger State Emergency Management Agency (NSEMA) also confirmed to LEADERSHIP that 100 people were on board of the boat when it capsized while going to Wawa in Ngeski local government area of Kebbi state.
Meanwhile, the managing director of the National Hydroelectric Power Producing Areas Development Commission, Abubakar Sadiq Yelwa has described the unfortunate boat mishap as shocking.
He expressed the commission’s heartfelt condolences to the family of the deceased and prayed for the repose of their souls.
He also sympathized with other victims and wished them quick recovery even as he expressed concern that boat operators kept exposing innocent lives to danger despite efforts by relevant authorities to put a stop to the menace.
He disclosed that the commission will continue to engage other sister agencies in ensuring compliance with safety measures on inland water transportation.
