29 Die In Fresh Niger Boat Accident

Another fatal Boat accident has claimed 29 lives, two are missing, while 50 others were rescued in the Borgu local government area of Niger state.

LEADERSHIP findings revealed that the boat accident occurred at Gausawa in the Malale area, with 90 people on board.

It was further gathered that the boat took off from Tugan Sule in Shagunu ward, with mostly women and children on board, and was going to Dugga for a condolence visit.

An eyewitness account reveals that the boat was filled when they left Tunga Sule, but the problem started at Gausawa, and the boat capsized immediately.

The Director General of the Niger State Emergency Management Agency (NSEMA), Abdullahi Baba Arah, confirmed the incident, saying that “we received a report of a boat incident at a community called Gausawa in Malale area/ward of Borgu local government area”.

“According to our desk officer who led the search and rescue operations, the boat took off from a community called Tugan sule in Shagunu ward with 90 people on board, including women and children, on the boat heading to Dugga for a condolence visit.”

He explained that the accident was attributed to overloading and a collision with a tree stump underneath the water. He also confirmed that the passengers did not wear life jackets despite the government’s stand on such practices in the state.

He said 29 dead bodies have been recovered, with 50 people rescued alive, while two people were still missing.

The Director General noted that Search and rescue operations were still ongoing for the possible recovery of missing persons.