Nigeria: At Least 60 Deaths After Shipwreck with 300 Passengers

Ship of Nigerian Migrants, Sept 2024 Photo: EFE

October 3, 2024 Hour: 5:05 pm

The chairman of the local government council confirmed that 150 survivors were found.

Local authorities in Nigeria reported that at least 60 people died after a boat with 300 passengers was wrecked during a celebration cruise of the Maulid, in the Mokwa Local Government area, in the state of Niger.

«The chairman of the local government council (local government area) in Mokwa (…) confirmed that about 60 bodies were recovered, 150 survivors were found», said the note.

It was also reported that the majority of the more than 300 passengers were, in general, women and children, travelling on a boat capable of carrying about 100 people.

The causes of the accident have not yet been confirmed, and the search for the rest of the missing persons is continuing by the Emergency Management Agency of the State of Niger (NSEMA) and the inhabitants of the site.

Niger: Over 150 passengers missing as boat capsizes

A boat carrying over 300 passengers, mostly women and children, capsized during a Maulid celebration journey in Mokwa Local Government Area of Niger State on Tuesday.
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— Chronicle NG (@chronicle_ng) October 2, 2024

For its part, the digital portal Niaja News, said that this is the second disaster of a boat in the last 18 months, when more than 100 travelers suffered a similar accident.

The authorities warn that this type of accident is common in the African country, as existing measures or regulations to prevent it are often not complied with and occur due to overloading passengers and lack of maintenance.