Nigeria News / Major accident in Jamfara, Nigeria, 41 people died due to boat capsizing

41 people were killed and 12 rescued when a boat capsized in Nigeria's Jamfara state on Saturday. The boat was carrying more than 50 people who were traveling to farms. Most of the deceased were women and children. The accident could be caused by overloading and bad weather.

Vikrant Shekhawat : Sep 15, 2024, 10:10 PM

Nigeria News: A tragic boat accident occurred in Nigeria's northwestern state of Jamfara on Saturday, killing at least 41 people. The accident took place in a river near Gummi town in Gummi local government area. At the time of the accident, the boat was carrying more than 50 passengers and crew members. As part of relief and rescue operations, rescue personnel rescued 12 people safely.

Details of the accident

National legislator Suleiman Gummi, who represents Gummi-Bukkuyum constituency in Nigeria's Federal House of Representatives, informed about the incident on Sunday. He said that the passengers on the boat were farmers, who used this boat to go to their agricultural land daily. Local divers and emergency personnel were immediately sent to the scene after the boat capsized.

Loss of life

Hassan Daura, head of the Jamfara State Emergency Management Agency, told local media that most of the people involved in the accident were women and children. He confirmed that relief operations are going on rapidly, and so far more than a dozen people have been rescued alive. However, the death toll could still rise as some people are still missing.

Common causes of boat accidents

Boat capsizing is a frequent occurrence in West Africa. Overloading, adverse weather conditions, and operational errors are commonly blamed for these accidents. Experts say better safety protocols and stricter regulations are needed to reduce these accidents.

Future plans

Given the severity of the latest incident, the local administration and government have assured to review safety measures and take necessary steps to prevent such incidents in the future. Relief and rescue operations will be accelerated and safety standards of boats will be enhanced to avoid such accidents in the future.

This tragic incident has once again highlighted the importance of boat safety in Zamfara state and across West Africa. The government and local authorities must take concrete steps to prevent boat accidents and provide adequate assistance to the affected families.