The number of casualties from the devastating boat accident at Malale riverfront in Borgu Local Government Area of Niger State has surged to 60, confirmed by rescue officials on Thursday. Dawn Herald reported that the vessel was carrying around 90 passengers when the mishap occurred on September 2, prompting rescue operations.
According to Abdullahi Baba Arah, Director General of the Niger State Emergency Management Agency (NSEMA), the boat departed from Tugan Sule in Shagunu ward, bound for Dugga where passengers planned to attend a condolence visit. The tragedy unfolded at approximately 11:30 a.m. after the overloaded boat collided with a submerged tree stump, leading to the vessel capsizing.
Initial search efforts recovered 29 bodies and 50 survivors, but the situation has worsened as authorities later updated the fatality count to 60. Two individuals remain unaccounted for amidst the operations led by local emergency teams.
Local officials further detailed the efforts to retrieve victims and secure the site. Abdullahi Baba Ara, chairman of Borgu LGA, told reporters that several injured passengers were receiving treatment, while search teams continued to locate missing persons. He said that the condition of ten survivors is critical, and many others are still being searched for.
District head Sa’adu Inuwa Muhammad recounted his experience at the scene.
I stayed from noon until late afternoon on the day of the accident. The boat held over 100 people…we managed to recover 31 bodies from the river and have since removed the wreckage
Muhammad also shared that four victims were laid to rest on Tuesday following Islamic burial rites. He emphasized that women and children constituted the majority of those who lost their lives.
Borgu LGA Chairman Abdullahi Baba Ara said that the death toll has unfortunately increased, with efforts to assist the injured and find those missing still in place.
Authorities have called for heightened safety measures on waterways to prevent similar losses.
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