The death toll from a boat accident that happened on Saturday at Nguru Local Government Area of Yobe State has risen to 29, after Search-and-rescue teams from the Yobe State Emergency Management Agency (YOSEMA) and the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) recovered two more bodies.
29 people are confirmed dead, while between 8 and 10 passengers remain missing.
The wooden vessel, which was carrying approximately 52 passengers, mostly farmers and traders, capsized on the Yobe River, close to Garbi town.
The boat departed from Adiyani in Jigawa State and was heading to a community in Yobe State when the accident happened around 7:48 PM. Water transportation is common in this region for moving goods and people, but safety standards are often not met.
Dawn Herald reported previously that the boat capsized due to overloaded and structural defects.
Overloading and structural defects of the boat as the major causes of the accident… search-and-rescue operations are ongoing to recover between eight and 10 passengers still missing – Dr. Mohammad Goje, Executive Secretary of YOSEMA.
The Yobe State government has provided ₦20 million in financial support to the families of the victims and the survivors.
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