The Director General of the agency in Niger State, Alhaji Abdullah Baba-Araha, stated in a report that the accident occurred on Tuesday morning at approximately 11:30. He explained that the boat was carrying about 90 passengers, including women and children, according to the local newspaper ‘Guardian Nigeria.’ He added that the boat departed from the village of Tugan Suli to the town of Duga to attend a condolence visit before it encountered the accident.
He noted that ’29 bodies have been recovered, 50 people have been rescued alive, and two individuals are still missing,’ confirming that search and rescue operations are still ongoing.
The Director General of the agency suggested that overloading and the boat’s collision with a tree trunk were the causes of the tragic accident. Nigeria records numerous incidents due to poor safety measures and boat maintenance, leading to dozens of victims annually.
