Over 30 Die In Niger Boat Mishap

OVER 30 people have been reported dead in Niger State after a boat carrying about 100 sank in a river.
According to officials of the state government, the overloaded boat, carrying passengers, including children, capsized when it struck a submerged tree stump near Gausawa community in Borgu Local Council.
The State Emergency Management Agency (SEMA) said 29 people had died and over 50 others rescued, with search operations continuing as at Wednesday, September 3, though local official said the death toll had risen to 60.
The boat had departed from Tungan Sule in Malale district, while the accident happened around 11:30am on Tuesday on the Malale River.
According to the district head, Sa’adu Inuwa Muhammad: “I was at the scene yesterday around 12 pm until 4 pm. The boat carried more than 100 people. We were able to recover 31 corpses from the river. The boat was also recovered and removed.”
The head of Borgu area, Abdullahi Baba Ara, said the toll had risen to 60, adding: “Ten people have been found in serious condition and many are still being sought.”
On his part, Director General of the Niger State Emergency Management Agency (NSEMA), Abdullahi Baba-Arah, said a search and rescue operation was still ongoing, adding: “NSEMA has received a report of a boat accident at a community called Gausawa in the Malale area/ward of Borgu LGA.
“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.
“The incident happened on Tuesday at about 11:30am and the cause was attributed to overloading and a collision with a tree stump.
“Search and rescue operations are still ongoing for possible recovery of missing persons.”
This is the second boat accident in Niger State this year. The first in July was attributed to a tree stump.
Boat accidents are become common in Nigeria often due to overloading, poor regulation and inadequate safety precautions.
Last month, about 25 people went missing after a boat accident in Sokoto State, while in December last year, 54 bodies were recovered from the River Niger after a boat that may have been carrying over 200 passengers capsized.