A devastating boat accident on the river at Gbajibo, Niger State, has claimed the lives of at least 36 people, with search-and-rescue operations still ongoing to find additional victims. The tragic incident occurred when a boat carrying about 300 passengers capsized on its way to a Maulud celebration in the Gbajibo community.
The Niger State Emergency Management Agency (NSEMA), along with local volunteers and divers, has been working tirelessly to recover bodies and rescue survivors. By Wednesday, they had recovered 25 bodies, but the grim toll rose to 36 by Thursday evening.
“Thirty-six dead bodies recovered so far as of 6 p.m. today,” NSEMA Director General, Abdullahi Baba-Arah, confirmed on Thursday.
He had previously reported the recovery of 9 and 14 bodies in separate updates, showing the increasing scale of the tragedy.
The boat was carrying passengers from the Mundi community, with a significant number of women and children on board, making the accident all the more heartbreaking. Baba-Arah explained that 150 people were rescued immediately after the accident, but another 150 remain missing, leaving families in anguish as rescue teams search for their loved ones.
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Search-and-rescue efforts continue, with the involvement of the State Ministry of Transport, Mokwa Local Government Emergency Committee, and brave local divers who have been risking their lives to help in the operation.
“NSEMA is directing and monitoring search-and-rescue operations in collaboration with these agencies and the community,” Baba-Arah said, expressing hope that more survivors may still be found.