Over 50 Dead, Many Missing After Boat Accident on Nigeria’s River Niger
At least 54 bodies have been recovered after a tragic boat accident on Nigeria’s River Niger, according to BBC. The boat, which may have been carrying over 200 passengers, capsized early Friday morning. So far, only 24 people have been rescued, and some of them are still in the hospital. Sadly, many others are still missing, and divers searching the river fear there may be no more survivors.
BBC highlights that this is one of many similar accidents on Nigeria’s waterways. Despite repeated safety advice, rules like wearing life jackets and recording passengers’ names are often ignored. Authorities say it’s hard to know exactly how many people were on board because there was no official passenger list.
The boat was traveling from Kogi state in central Nigeria to a weekly market in Niger state. Many of the passengers were traders and farmworkers.
BBC reports that the accident may have been worse because some passengers likely didn’t have life jackets, a safety measure that could have saved lives.
Governor Usman Ododo of Kogi state has ordered hospitals to provide full care, including food, for the survivors. He also called for stricter safety enforcement to prevent future accidents.
However, BBC notes that similar promises have been made in the past, yet accidents continue to happen.
This tragedy is part of a worrying trend. Last month, nearly 200 people died when a wooden canoe sank on the same river, and just last week, five people died when two boats collided in Delta state.
BBC stresses that Nigeria’s waterways need urgent improvements in safety to stop these recurring disasters.
https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c14l44lz6vno