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Taraba Boat Accident: 17 Bodies Recovered, 12 Rescued – NEMA Confirms
At least seventeen lifeless bodies have been recovered by rescue operators after a boat reportedly carrying 104 persons capsized in Taraba State.
Naija News reported earlier that the boat capsized on Saturday, October 28, 2023, with over 100 people, mostly local traders, including women and children. The citizens were said to be returning from the Mayorenero fish market in Ardo – Kola Local Government en route to Binnari in Karim – Lamido Local Government all in Taraba State, when the incident happened.
Giving an update on the incident, the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) on Monday that twelve persons had also been rescued alive.
Speaking to BBC Hausa, the Director of Emergency Services at NEMA, Bashir Garga, said rescue operations are still ongoing. According to him, some of the victims have been buried by the riverside at Mayoreneyo and Binnari.
Earlier, the acting chairman of inland water transporters in Taraba, Jidda Mayoreneyo, told Daily Trust that six of the victims were buried yesterday in Mayoreneyo.
He explained that the agency had gotten the approval of the families of the victims before going ahead to bury them. Mayoreneyo added that other victims were buried at Binnari, where the boat capsized on Saturday.
Jidda stated further that four more bodies recovered were buried at the riverside after approval was granted by their families.
Saidu Audu, a resident, said he was at the local jetty when the boat left Mayoreneyo with many people and a heavy load.
“Apart from people inside the boat, there were new motorcycles, bags of cement, bundles of sugarcane, and other items,” he said.
Another resident, Dauda, also said that the boat operators usually overload their boats with passengers and load, and there is no government agency to regulate their operation.
He said, “It is difficult to give the actual number of casualties and those who survived because there was no record of the actual number of passengers on board.”
