Death toll tops 106 as boat capsizes in Nigeria

The death toll has reached 106 after a wedding boat carrying 250 capsized Monday in north-central Kwara state, with rescue workers searching for other possible survivors, police said Wednesday.

It was the latest boat incident in the country where such occurrences are common as they mostly take place due to overloading, poor safety and heavy flooding in the rainy season.

“One part of the boat by the engine side collapsed where water penetrated the boat, which ultimately led to the boat capsizing,” Kwara police spokesman Okasanmi Ajayi said in a statement.

“All efforts to draw the attention of the villagers hosting the wedding ceremony for assistance by the persons in the boat proved abortive, leading to the deaths of about one hundred and six people.”

President Bola Ahmed Tinubu offered his condolences to the families of the victims Wednesday and said that “his government would look to improve inland water transport safety”.

“I am deeply saddened by the news of the tragic boat accident that claimed the lives of our people in Kwara State. That the victims were guests at a wedding ceremony made the unfortunate accident more painful,” he said.

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Ajayi, a Kwara police spokesman said: “All efforts to draw the attention of the villagers hosting the wedding ceremony for assistance by the persons in the boat proved abortive, leading to the deaths of about one hundred and six people.”

The residents near the Niger River use it as it can be faster for transportation in comparison to roads and also safer because the roads are poorly maintained and oftentimes dangerous due to the presence of kidnappings.

In May, 15 children reportedly drowned and two dozen went missing after a loaded boat capsized upon returning from the north-west Sokoto State.

Another incident, a year earlier, claimed at least the lives of 29 children in the same river as they were on a trip to collect firewood.

During the rainy season in the southeastern Anambra State, in December 2022, 76 people also drowned after their boat sank in a swollen river.

There are rules and regulations in place on night-time sailing in the rivers as well as overloading vessels, but people do not abide by them.