Boat Overturn Claims at Least 29 Lives in Nigeria

(MENAFN) At least 29 people are confirmed dead following a boat disaster in Niger State, Nigeria, after a wooden vessel capsized on Tuesday morning, local emergency officials reported.

The boat, which was carrying approximately 90 passengers, including women and children, overturned near the riverside community of Gausawa in the Borgu Local Government Area. Authorities have attributed the accident to overloading and a collision with a submerged tree stump. While 29 bodies were recovered and 50 individuals rescued, a number of passengers remain unaccounted for.

An anonymous source within the state Ministry of Transport told a newspaper that none of the passengers were wearing life jackets, which exacerbated the death toll.

The Niger State Emergency Management Agency (NSEMA) confirmed the incident in an official statement. Abdullahi Baba-Arah, Director General of NSEMA, detailed the situation: “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, which included women and children, heading to Dugga for a condolence visit.”

Baba-Arah added, “Search and rescue operations are still ongoing for possible recovery of missing persons.”

Later, Baba-Arah clarified in a phone interview with media that the operation had not been concluded, disputing earlier reports that claimed more than 60 bodies had been found.

Boat accidents are all too common in Nigeria, often attributed to overloading and lack of proper safety measures. This latest tragedy follows another deadly incident in the region last month, in which at least 10 people were killed, according to the Sokoto State Emergency Management Agency.

In June, a similar accident occurred when seven individuals drowned after their vessel capsized near Rinaye village in Shagari Local Government Area.

This latest incident also follows a tragic boat accident in Delta State last November, where at least five people perished and 20 were left missing after a speedboat capsized.

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