Niger Boat Tragedy: 150 Feared Dead
*Over 60 bodies recovered.
About 150 people are feared dead in a boat mishap that took place Tuesday night in Gbajibo community, Mokwa Local Government Area of Niger state.
Reports say the boat ferrying about 300 people, mainly Muslims, coming from a religious ceremony, ran into bad waters around Mundi community before running into bad waters around the River Niger upstream, near Jebba.
Sixty bodies have been recovered at the time of filing this report. Director General of the Niger State Emergency Management Agency, NSEMA, Abdullahi Baba Arah, confirmed the incident.
“The incident occurred in the Gbajibo community in Mokwa Local Government Area at around 8:30 pm on Tuesday. The boat was sailing from the Mundi community with almost 300 passengers, mostly women and children, who were returning from a Maulid celebration in Gbajibo.
“NSEMA is currently directing and monitoring search and rescue operations in collaboration with the State Ministry of Transport, Mokwa Local Government Emergency Committee, local divers, and other community volunteers,” he said.
According to him, about150 people have so far been rescued alive.
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