No fewer than 15 people have lost their lives to a boat accident that happened in Borgu Local Government Area of Niger State.
The accident occured on River Malale as a result of bad weather which caused low visibility on Sunday night.
The boat was reportedly coming from Warrah market, a border community in Ngaski Local Government Area of Kebbi State to Sabo Yumu in Borgu before it ran into a tree stump in the river midway.
The bodies of other passengers in the boat are yet to be recovered as at Wednesday evening.
A source told newsmen that only two people were rescued from the accident and 15 bodies were recovered and the number of people inside the boat could not be ascertained.
The source further stressed that the boat is big and has a capacity for over 50. Also because it was a market day, there was the tendency that it might be overloaded,”.
Director-General of the Niger State Emergency Management Agency (NSEMA) Ibrahim Ahmed Inga confirmed the accident, saying 15 bodies had been recovered.
He added that divers are still searching for the remaining occupants, adding that the high rate of death was caused by lack of life jackets.
Inga, however, said the state government was working towards putting in place a regulatory framework to check the activities of boat operators as well as to provide life jackets to reduce high casualties.
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