At least 27 people were killed and more than 100 are missing after a boat carrying food to a market capsized on the banks of the Niger River in northern Nigeria on Friday. Niger State Emergency Management Agency spokesman Ibrahim Odu said about 200 passengers were on board the boat, which was heading from Kogi state to neighboring Niger state, when it capsized.
According to Kogi State Emergency Services spokesperson Sandra Moses, by Friday evening rescue teams had recovered 27 bodies from the river, while local divers were still searching for others. No living person was found for about 12 hours after the incident. Authorities have not confirmed what caused the sinking, but local media have suggested the boat may have been overloaded. Overcrowding on boats is common in remote parts of Nigeria, where many people have no alternative routes due to the lack of good roads.
Safety measures for water transport
Rescue workers struggled for hours to find boats after Friday’s disaster, according to Justin Uwazuruni, who is in charge of Nigeria’s National Emergency Management Agency operations in the state. Such fatalities are becoming a growing concern in Nigeria, Africa’s most populous country, as authorities struggle to enforce safety measures and regulations for water transport.
lack of boat maintenance
Most accidents occur due to overcrowding and lack of maintenance in boats, which are often built locally to accommodate more passengers by ignoring safety measures. Furthermore, authorities are often unable to enforce the use of life jackets on such trips due to lack of availability or cost.
