Abuja. The death toll from a boat accident in central Nigeria’s Niger state earlier this week has risen to 42. According to the report, State Management Agency Chief Abdullahi Baba-Arah said that about 17 more bodies were recovered on Thursday, six of which were found on Friday morning.
Earlier, a spokesman for Nigerian President Bola Tinubu said that at least 25 bodies have been confirmed to have been recovered after the boat carrying more than 300 passengers capsized. More than 150 people were rescued after a boat capsized in the Niger River, the spokesman said. The incident occurred near Jebba Dam in Mokwa Local Government Area. Local officials had said that the victims were returning after attending a religious function when the accident occurred. He said that most of the people on board the boat were women and children. The exact cause of the accident is still under investigation.
Baba-Arah said that search and rescue operations are underway to find the missing people. Meanwhile, the President ordered the National Inland Waterways Authority (NIWA) to investigate boat accidents in Niger and across the country and make preparations to prevent such incidents.
The Nigerian President also directed NIWA to expand the scope of monitoring of inland waters to ensure the safety of the public and prosecute violators of the ban on night sailing. Boat accidents are common in Nigeria, often caused by overloading, adverse weather conditions and operational mistakes.