Nigeria boat tragedy 27 people died and more than 100 were missing after capsized along the River Niger in northern Nigeria

Boat Tragedy: A major accident occurred last Friday (29 November) in the Niger River of Northern Nigeria. Where a boat overturned on the banks of River Niger. At least 27 people died in this accident and more than 100 people, mostly women, went missing. Ibrahim Audu, a spokesman for Niger’s state emergency management agency, told The Associated Press that about 200 passengers were on board. All the people were going from Kogi state to neighboring Niger state.

According to Kogi State Emergency Services spokesperson Sandra Moses, rescue teams managed to pull out 27 bodies from the river by Friday evening, while local divers were still searching for others. He told that no living person was found till about 12 hours after the incident.

At least 27 people died and more than 100, mostly women, were missing on Friday after a boat transporting them to a food market capsized along the River Niger in northern Nigeria. About 200 passengers were on the boat that was going from the state of Kogi to the neighboring…

— ANI (@ANI) November 29, 2024

Doubt over the cause of boat sinking
Authorities have not confirmed what caused the sinking, but local media suggested the boat was overcrowded. Let us tell you that overcrowding on boats is common in remote parts of Nigeria, where many people have no alternative route due to lack of good roads. According to Justin Uwazuruoni, who is in charge of operations at Nigeria’s National Emergency Management Agency, rescue workers struggled to locate the ship for hours after Friday’s tragedy.

Boat sinking is common in Nigeria
Such fatal incidents are becoming a growing concern in Nigeria, Africa’s most populous country, as authorities struggle to enforce safety measures and regulations for water transport. Most of the accidents are caused by overcrowding and lack of maintenance of boats, which often carry more and more passengers in their boats, ignoring safety measures. Additionally, the use of life jackets is often rejected on such trips due to lack of availability or cost.

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