Search Intensifies for Missing Passengers After Boat Capsizes in Nigeria

A boat carrying more than 50 passengers capsized in Nigeria, leading to a search for the over 40 missing individuals. Authorities emphasize the need for improved safety measures to prevent such incidents in the future.

Rescue operations are underway in Sokoto state, northern Nigeria, as efforts continue to locate more than 40 people who remain missing following a tragic boat capsizing incident. The National Emergency Management Agency (Nema) reported that the mishap occurred while the vessel was ferrying passengers to a local market on the River Goronyo.

Authorities stated that four individuals were rescued alive, but concerns grow as the search expands for the other missing passengers. Local officials have confirmed that Nema is ramping up its rescue efforts in collaboration with regional authorities.

Boat accidents frequently occur in Nigeria, primarily attributed to overcrowding, the poor maintenance of vessels, and lack of enforcement of safety regulations. In December of last year, a similar event led to the recovery of 54 bodies from the River Niger after a boat overloaded with passengers capsized. This incident marked the third such event within a short 60-day span.

Another notable tragedy occurred when nearly 200 passengers drowned after a wooden canoe, which was carrying 300 individuals, capsized in the Niger River. In a notorious case from two years ago, over 100 people died from drowning in a similar incident. This particular vessel was also severely overloaded, ferrying passengers post-wedding celebrations.

Despite regulations mandating the wearing of life jackets, many passengers remain unprotected due to a lack of available safety gear, particularly in rural areas. As rescuers work tirelessly to recover those missing, the need for stricter safety measures and public awareness around boating hazards in Nigeria has never been clearer.