16 dead, 150 missing after boat capsizes in Northern Nigeria

Nigerian officials have reported that following a boat capsizing in the northern state, the bodies of 16 people have been recovered, while 150 others remain missing.

Abdullahi Baba Arrah, the head of Nigeria’s emergency agency, confirmed that rescue operations have so far retrieved the bodies of two women and 14 men.

On Thursday, October 3, Abdullahi told the media that the search and rescue efforts to find survivors are ongoing. He added that overloading and nighttime navigation were factors contributing to the boat’s capsizing in Niger State, located in northern Nigeria.

Ahmed Suleiman, Niger State Commissioner for Humanitarian Affairs and Disaster Management, stated that the boat was carrying nearly 300 passengers, mostly women and children, from the Mundi community to attend a festival in Gajibo.

Nigerian authorities have emphasized that rescue operations are proceeding quickly to locate the survivors as soon as possible.

This incident highlights the ongoing challenges of transportation safety in rural areas of Nigeria, where overloaded vessels and poor navigation practices frequently lead to accidents.

The Nigerian government is now being urged to improve safety regulations and infrastructure to prevent such disasters in the future.

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