A tragic incident unfolded as a boat carrying no less than 22 passengers from Kasabu village in Agwara Local Government Area of Niger State to Yauri, Kebbi State, capsized.
The Director-General of the Niger State Emergency Management Agency, Salihu Garba, revealed this to the News Agency of Nigeria in Minna, the state capital, on Monday.
According to him, the agency received a report of the boat mishap that occurred between 11 a.m. and 12 p.m. on Monday. A survivor of the incident reported that the boat was carrying approximately 22 passengers.
He informed that search and rescue efforts were currently underway, led by local divers and boat owners, with oversight from the agency’s desk officer in Agwara. As of now, no passengers have been recovered, and the incident took place on Yauri market day.
Garba explained that families would only be able to confirm the status of their missing relatives after the market day. He also noted that it typically takes about 24 hours for a drowned person to resurface in such cases.
He attributed the cause of the incident to water hyacinth combined with strong waves.
(NAN)
