Abuja: A minimum of 27 folks died and greater than 100, largely ladies, have been lacking on Friday, after a ship transporting them to a meals market capsized alongside the River Niger in northern Nigeria, authorities mentioned.
About 200 passengers have been on the boat that was going from the state of Kogi to neighbouring state of Niger when it capsized, the Niger State Emergency Administration Company spokesman Ibrahim Audu informed The Related Press.
Rescuers managed to tug 27 our bodies from the river by Friday night whereas native divers have been nonetheless trying to find others, in line with Sandra Musa, spokeswoman for the Kogi state emergency providers.
No survivor was discovered about 12 hours after the incident occurred, she added.
Authorities haven’t confirmed what triggered the sinking however native media prompt the boat might have been overloaded. Overcrowding on boats is frequent in distant components of Nigeria the place the dearth of fine roads leaves many with no different routes.
In line with Justin Uwazuruonye, who’s accountable for Nigeria’s Nationwide Emergency Administration Company operations within the state, rescuers had bother discovering the placement of the capsizing for hours after Friday’s tragedy struck.
Such lethal incidents are more and more turning into a supply of concern in Nigeria, Africa’s most populous nation, as authorities wrestle to implement security measures and laws for water transportation.
A lot of the accidents have been attributed to overcrowding and the dearth of upkeep of the boats, usually constructed domestically to accommodate as many passengers as potential in defiance of security measures.
Additionally, authorities haven’t been in a position to implement using life jackets on such journeys, usually due to lack of availability or value.
