Over 150 Feared Dead in Niger State Boat Tragedy

Over 150 Feared Dead in Niger State Boat Tragedy

 

 

 

An Independence Day celebration turned tragic as over 150 people are feared dead after a boat carrying more than 300 passengers capsized on the River Niger in Niger State, Nigeria. The accident occurred on the night of October 1, 2024, near the Mundi community in Mokwa Local Government Area.

 

 

 

Alhaji Abdullahi Baba Arah, Director General of the Niger State Emergency Management Agency (NSEMA), reported that the boat was returning from a Mawlid Nabiyy celebration in Gbajibo village. The boat capsized around 8:30 pm, near the Jebba Dam.

 

 

 

Local divers and volunteers rescued 150 survivors. Rescue efforts are ongoing to locate the remaining passengers. Abdullahi Muregi, the local council chairman, confirmed that about 60 bodies have been recovered so far.

 

 

 

Community volunteers and local divers responded swiftly to the incident. Many passengers were women and children, making the rescue efforts even more urgent.

 

 

 

Officials believe the boat was overloaded, contributing to the accident. The River Niger, especially during the rainy season, poses challenges for boat travel due to high water levels and debris in the water. Similar accidents frequently occur in the region. In September 2023, a similar incident claimed 24 lives when a boat carrying more than 50 passengers overturned in the same area.

 

 

Search and Rescue Operations Continue

 

Rescue teams, led by NSEMA, continue to search for survivors. They collaborate with the State Ministry of Transport and the Mokwa Local Government Emergency Committee. Alhaji Arah confirmed that all available resources are being mobilized to save lives.

 

The search will continue as long as there’s hope of finding more survivors.

 

Government authorities are expected to investigate the cause of the accident and address the growing concerns about unsafe boat travel on the River Niger.