29 dead in Niger boat mishap

A devastating boat accident in Gausawa, Borgu Local Government Area, Niger State has resulted in the loss of 29 lives.

The tragedy occurred around 11:30am on Tuesday when the boat, carrying 90 passengers—including women and children—capsized while heading to a condolence visit.

Reports indicate that overloading and a collision with a tree stump caused the accident. An anonymous source from the Ministry of Transport emphasized the role of safety equipment in such incidents.

“The passengers were obviously not wearing life jackets. If they had been, more, if not all, would have survived the accident.”

Current updates reveal that 29 bodies have been recovered, and 50 individuals were rescued alive, though two people are still missing. Abdullahi Baba-Arah, the Director General of the Niger State Emergency Management Agency (NSEMA), confirmed the ongoing search efforts.

“The boat took off from Tugan Sule with 90 people on board, and we are continuing our search for the missing persons,” he said.

This incident marks the second boat accident in Niger State this year, following another in July that was also linked to tree stump collisions.

The National Inland Waterway Agency had previously distributed life jackets in response to earlier disasters, prompting community leaders to call for more stringent safety measures to prevent future tragedies.

Source: PUNCH