At least 30 people have died in a boat mishap that occurred on Tuesday morning in the Malale area of Borgu Local Government Area, Niger State.
Gatekeepers News reports that the boat, which was carrying more than 90 passengers, among them women and children, had taken off from Tungan Sule in Shagunu Ward and was heading to Dugga for a condolence visit when it capsized.
Confirming the development, the Director-General of the Niger State Emergency Management Agency (NSEMA), Abdullahi Baba Arah, attributed the tragedy to overloading and a collision with a submerged tree stump.
He said, “As of this time of filing, 29 dead bodies have been recovered, with 50 persons rescued alive, while two people are still missing. Search and rescue operations are ongoing for possible recovery of missing persons.”
Authorities confirmed that the recovered bodies have since been buried.
