A boat carrying passengers returning from a wedding capsized, leading to more than 100 fatalities.
The catastrophe occurred on the Niger River, near Kwara state in Nigeria, early on Monday, June 12. Police spokesman Okasanmi Ajayi reported that the boat overturned near Niger State, with the official count of confirmed deaths standing at 103. The overloaded boat, which carried approximately 300 people, hit a log and split in two, according to a local chief Abdul Gana Lukpada.
The victims, mostly relatives encompassing women and children, had been guests at a wedding in the village of Egboti in Niger state. Lukpada disclosed that the passengers had intended to ride motorbikes and bicycles home to their respective communities but had to take the boat instead when the road flooded.
The tragedy took place around 3 am local time, according to Usman Ibrahim, a resident of the area, but the news of the incident didn’t reach people many until hours later. The passengers belonged to the villages of Kpada, Egbu, and Gakpan in Kwara, with reports suggesting that at least 64 people were from one village, and about 40 from another.
It was found that the majority of passengers were not wearing life vests or any kind of safety gear.
Incidents like this are sadly frequent at the junction of the Niger and Benue rivers. In May 2021, a boat sunk in the same area, causing an estimated 160 deaths.
