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22 People Missing In Another Boat Mishap In Niger State
The bodies of twenty-two people are still missing following another tragic boat mishap in Niger State.
Reports obtained by Naija News revealed that the boat from Kasabu village in Agwara Local Government Area of Niger State to Yauri, Kebbi State, capsized on Monday morning around 11 am.
The Director-General, Niger State Emergency Management Agency (NSEMA), Salihu Garba, confirmed the incident to journalists in Minna, the state capital, on Monday.
Garba explained that the agency was informed of the boat mishap that occurred yesterday around 11 a.m. and 12 p.m. According to him, a survivor of the incident said that the boat had about 22 passengers on board.
He said that search and rescue operations were ongoing by the local divers and boat owners under the supervision of the agency’s desk officer in Agwara.
The NSEMA boss explained that no passenger has been recovered yet as of the time of filing this report, adding that the incident happened on Yauri market day.
Garba added that only after the market would families be able to declare their missing relatives. He explained that it takes about 24 hours for any drowned person to surface atop the water.
He attributed the cause of the incident to water hyacinth coupled with strong waves.
Niger State Boat Mishap Victims Buried Amid Tears
Naija News understands that the latest boat incident in Niger State is happening barely a month after victims of the passenger boat mishap that happened in Gbajibo, a community in the Mokwa Local Government Area (LGA) of Niger State, were buried amid tears.
It was reported earlier that twenty-four people were confirmed dead in a boat mishap on Sunday morning in Gbajibo.
It was gathered that an uncertain number of people were still missing in the tragic incident involving local farmers.
According to Daily Trust, the victims were from Gbajibo, Ekwa and Yankeiade, all in Mokwa LGA.
The mishap was said to have occurred at about 8 a.m. on Sunday, 10 September.
A mass burial was, however, conducted for the victims according to Islamic rites.
