By Happiness Edeawe
At least 29 people has been confirmed dead following a boat accident in the Gausawa community, Malale Ward of Borgu Local Government Area, Niger State.
The Director-General of the Niger State Emergency Management Agency (NSEMA), Alhaji Abdullahi Baba-Arah, confirmed the development in a statement issued on Wednesday in Minna.
According to the agency, the ill-fated boat was carrying about 90 passengers, including women and children, when the accident occurred around 11:30 a.m.
The passengers were said to be travelling from Tungan Sule in Shagunu Ward to the Dugga community to pay a condolence visit when the wooden boat collided with a submerged tree stump in the river.
The impact of the collision caused the vessel to overturn, plunging many of its occupants into the water.
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“As of this morning, 29 bodies have been recovered from the river,” Baba-Arah stated. “Fifty passengers have been rescued alive, while two individuals are still missing. Search and rescue operations are still ongoing with the help of local divers and community volunteers.”
He explained that initial investigations suggest overloading and the collision with the submerged tree stump as the likely causes of the mishap.
“This tragic event is a grim reminder of the dangers associated with unsafe water transportation, especially during the rainy season when river levels rise,” he added.
The state government has expressed its condolences to the affected families and assured the public that steps will be taken to improve safety standards on inland waterways. Community leaders have also joined calls for stricter enforcement of passenger limits and improved infrastructure to prevent future tragedies.
This incident adds to the growing list of fatal boat mishaps across Nigeria, particularly in riverine communities where water transport is a common mode of travel due to limited road access.
Experts have repeatedly called for government intervention in the areas of safety regulation, public awareness, and provision of life-saving equipment to reduce the rate of such avoidable disasters.
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