A Nigerian river ferry tragically capsized over the weekend, resulting in the deaths of at least 13 individuals, including several children, officials confirmed on Sunday.
This incident marks the latest in a distressing series of deadly boat accidents plaguing the country’s extensive waterways. The ill-fated vessel, carrying a total of 39 passengers, tragically overturned on Saturday along a river located in north-central Niger state.
Ibrahim Audu Husseini, serving as spokesman for the emergency management services, informed AFP that rescue teams successfully recovered 13 bodies. He also stated that a further 26 persons were fortunately rescued from the capsized boat, highlighting the swift response of the emergency services.
The passengers aboard the ferry were reportedly en route to a bustling market, a common mode of transport in the region. According to Abubakar Idris, a Red Cross official based in Niger state, the boat was heavily laden with both grains and various farm animals at the time of the tragic accident.
This latest tragedy tragically underscores a recurring pattern of boat disasters in Africa’s most populous nation. These devastating incidents are frequently attributed to severe overloading, inadequate safety measures, and the perils of heavy flooding during Nigeria’s annual rainy season.
In November, a separate boat accident along the vast Niger river claimed the lives of 27 people, with many others unaccounted for. Just the previous month, dozens more perished when another boat, reportedly carrying 300 passengers, including numerous women and children, flipped over during transit to a Muslim festival in Niger State.
September witnessed an overloaded boat sinking while transporting over 50 farmers across the Gummi River in Zamfara state, leading to over 40 presumed fatalities. In June 2023, more than 100 individuals tragically died when a river boat, carrying approximately 250 passengers, capsized in the north-central state of Kwara, marking one of the country’s deadliest waterway accidents in recent years