At least 52 people have died after a boat transporting farmers and workers to rice farms capsized in Sokoto State, officials said Friday.
The accident occurred Thursday as the boat was crossing a waterway near Gorau town in Goronyo Local Government Area, according to reports.
Tukur Abubakar, the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) head of operations in Sokoto State, confirmed Friday morning that the number of fatalities had risen to 52.
“The death toll has now risen to 52,” Abubakar told Anadolu. “We are about to meet with officials of the local government to know the families of the victims,” he said.
Anadolu had earlier reported that the vessel was carrying farmers and laborers travelling to rice farms when it overturned. Abdulkadir Yusuf, the Sokoto manager of the National Inland Waterways Authority (NIWA), also confirmed the incident and said dozens of bodies, including children, had been recovered.
Meanwhile, Abdullahi Ghani, spokesperson for the Sokoto State Emergency Management Agency (SEMA), said emergency officials remained at the scene to assess the situation and establish the precise number of people affected.
Residents in the area said more than 70 people were aboard the boat when it capsized.
The latest tragedy is the most recent in a string of fatal boat accidents on Nigeria’s waterways. Overcrowding, poor safety measures and inadequate enforcement of regulations have often been cited among the factors contributing to such incidents.
