The Niger State Emergency Management Agency has confirmed the death of one person and the rescue of forty nine others from a boat accident that occurred on Saturday morning in Niger state.
The Director General of the agency, Ibrahim Inga, who made this known in a telephone interview on Sunday in Minna said the incident occurred in Kwata, Zumba community in Shiroro Local Government Area at 10am.
He said, “The unfortunate incident occurred at about 10am in the morning on Saturday in Kwatu via Zumba and I have received a detailed report about it.”
Inga stated that the boat was said to have loaded passengers and goods heading for the weekly market when it hit a tree stump and broke into two.
“The boat had loaded passengers, foodstuff, other farm produce and livestock and they were on their way to the weekly market in the area from Nansa village by the river bank and upstream of Shiroro Hydro Power Dam heading towards Kwata Saturday market at Zumba when the incident occurred,” Inga said.
Inga explained that the mishap which claimed the life of one yet-to-be-identified male occurred midway into the journey.
“Midway into the journey, the boat hit a tree stump and broke into two pieces, thereby leading to the drowning of several numbers of the passengers on board the boat,” he said.
It was, however, learnt that most of the drowned passengers on board the boat were said to have swam to safety while others were rescued by local divers in the area.
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