…The boat was reportedly carrying more than 50 passengers, mostly farmers and traders
YOBE, NIGERIA- The iNews Times | The number of fatalities from Saturday’s boat mishap in Nguru Local Government Area of Yobe State has increased from the earlier reported figure of 25 to 29.
The update was confirmed on Monday in Damaturu by the Executive Secretary of the Yobe State Emergency Management Agency, Dr Mohammad Goje.
Goje disclosed that four more bodies were retrieved from the river, while search and rescue efforts remain ongoing as between eight and ten passengers are still unaccounted for.
He added that 13 people who sustained injuries during the incident were treated at a nearby hospital and subsequently discharged.
According to him, initial findings suggest that overloading and structural defects in the boat were key factors that led to the accident.
In response to the tragedy, Governor Mai Mala Buni has directed YOSEMA to collaborate with relevant Federal Government agencies to strengthen safety measures in water transportation across the area.
Goje explained that the collaboration would enable better regulation of inland waterways, including stricter enforcement of life jacket usage among passengers.
“Once this is in place, it will be mandatory for anyone boarding a boat to wear a life jacket, and this must be institutionalised,” he said.
The News Agency of Nigeria reports that the boat, which departed from Adiyani in neighbouring Jigawa State, capsized on the Yobe River at Garbi town around 7:48 p.m. on Saturday.
The boat was reportedly carrying more than 50 passengers, mostly farmers and traders, when the incident occurred about 230 kilometres from Damaturu, the state capital.
