NIGER STATE: Eye witnesses report a heartbreaking incident in Niger State, where a boat belonging to one Musa Dangana capsized while carrying over 200 passengers, including market women and farm labourers, on their way to the Katcha weekly market.
The accident threw all on board into the water, and rescue teams are working tirelessly to recover the bodies of the victims. As of the latest reports, eight bodies have been retrieved, but search operations continue to locate the remaining passengers.
This tragic event follows a similar boat accident on the Muwo Gbajibo River in Mokwa Local Government Area on October 1, 2024, which also resulted in significant loss of life.
Preliminary reports suggest that none of the passengers were wearing life jackets at the time of the accident, which may have contributed to the high number of fatalities.
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While authorities have yet to issue an official statement, an investigation is expected to determine the cause of the capsizing.
This latest disaster adds to the growing list of fatal boat accidents in Nigeria over the past year. Just last week, five people died in a boat collision in Warri South Local Government Area, Delta State, involving two speedboats that capsized due to a crash. Similar incidents have plagued the waterways, with over 50 passengers losing their lives in a capsizing incident in Niger State in September 2023.
Despite regulations prohibiting night travel and the overloading of vessels, these rules are frequently violated, contributing to the high frequency of boat-related accidents
