Boat Capsize in Niger State Claims 60 Lives, Dozens Rescued

At least 60 individuals have lost their lives, and dozens have been rescued following the capsizing of a boat carrying over 100 passengers in Niger State, located in north-central Nigeria, local officials reported on Wednesday.

The vessel departed from Tungan Sule in the Malale district on Tuesday morning, en route to Dugga for a condolence visit, when it struck a submerged tree stump near the Gausawa community in the Borgu Local Government Area.

Abdullahi Baba Ara, the chair of the Borgu Local Government Area, stated that the death toll is expected to rise. “The number of fatalities from the boat incident has increased to 60,” Baba Ara told Reuters. “Ten individuals have been found in critical condition, and many others are still unaccounted for.”

The incident occurred around 11 a.m. (10:00 GMT). Sa’adu Inuwa Muhammad, the district head of Shagumi, arrived at the scene shortly after the accident. “I was present at the site yesterday from noon until 4 p.m. The boat was carrying more than 100 people,” Muhammad recounted. “We managed to recover 31 bodies from the river. The boat has also been retrieved.”

He mentioned that four victims were buried on Tuesday in accordance with Islamic customs, noting that women and children comprised the majority of those who perished. The Niger State Emergency Management Agency reported that emergency personnel and local divers are actively searching for the missing individuals. So far, they have confirmed 29 fatalities, 50 rescues, and two individuals still unaccounted for. The agency indicated that the boat was overloaded and collided with a tree stump, leading to its capsizing.

Boat accidents are common in Nigeria, particularly during the rainy season, due to inadequate safety regulations, overcrowding, and poorly maintained vessels.