At the least 27 individuals have died and greater than 100 are lacking after a ship capsized in northern Nigeria, authorities have stated.
About 200 passengers have been on the boat that was going from the state of Kogi to neighbouring state of Niger when it capsized on the Niger River, the Niger state emergency administration company spokesperson, Ibrahim Audu, instructed the Related Press.
Rescuers managed to tug 27 our bodies from the river by Friday night whereas native divers have been nonetheless looking for others, in accordance with Sandra Musa, spokesperson for the Kogi state emergency providers.
No survivor had been discovered about 12 hours after the incident occurred, she added. The boat was transporting the passengers, who have been principally ladies, to a meals market.
Authorities haven’t confirmed what induced the sinking however native media prompt the boat could have been overloaded. Overcrowding on boats is frequent in distant components of Nigeria the place the dearth of excellent roads leaves many with no different routes.
Rescuers had hassle discovering the placement of the capsizing for hours after Friday’s tragedy struck, in accordance with Justin Uwazuruonye, who’s answerable for Nigeria’s nationwide emergency administration company operations within the state.
Such lethal incidents are more and more changing into a supply of concern in Nigeria, Africa’s most populous nation, as authorities battle to implement security measures and rules for water transportation.
A lot of the accidents have been attributed to overcrowding and the dearth of upkeep of the boats, usually constructed regionally to accommodate as many passengers as attainable in defiance of security measures. Authorities have additionally not been capable of implement using lifejackets on such journeys, usually due to lack of availability or value.
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