Abuja: At least 50 people were killed after an overloaded boat capsized in Nigeria’s northwest Sokoto state on Thursday. Most of those killed were children.
The accident occurred near Gorau in the Goronyo local government area and rescue efforts are continuing, Abdulkadir Yusuf, an area manager at the National Inland Waterways Authority, said, as reported by Reuters.
A witness claimed that he saw 50 bodies, many wrapped in mats and traditional cloths, lying in the forecourt of a community mosque ahead of their burial in Gorau later on Thursday.
The boat had been carrying farm owners and labourers hired to harvest rice and that more than 70 people had been onboard when it capsized, a local resident said. There were 57 people on board, another one said.
The bodies of around 40 children had been found, Yusuf confirmed.
Nasiru Adamu, a lawmaker at the Sokoto state legislature from the area, said that those onboard were mostly aged between 10 and 15 years old, adding that 16 people had been rescued.
“We have buried 46 people, and even more dead bodies have just been brought. The death toll is 53,” said Sharhabilu Kiliya, an eyewitness.
Mustapha Umar, director of relief and rehabilitation at the state’s emergency management agency, said officials were heading to the scene and would provide further information later.
This is not the first such disaster in the country this year. In January, at least 25 people died when a leaking boat capsized in Yobe state, northeast Nigeria, as reported by Mint.
Deadly boat accidents are relatively common in Nigeria, where overcrowding, poor maintenance and weak enforcement of safety regulations often contribute to disasters on the country’s rivers and waterways, particularly during the rainy season.
