A boat carrying passengers returning from a wedding capsized, leading to more than 100 fatalities.
The calamity unfolded on the Niger River near Kwara state in Nigeria, in the early hours of Monday, June 12, with rescue operations ongoing for potential survivors. According to Police spokesman Okasanmi Ajayi, the boat capsized in the vicinity of Niger State and the official death toll stands at 103. According to a local chief, the overloaded boat hit a big log and split in two.
Those who perished, including women and children, had been celebrating at a wedding ceremony in the village of Egboti in Niger state. The tragic incident was confirmed by local resident Usman Ibrahim. He shared that the passengers had arrived at the wedding on motorbikes and bicycles but had to take the boat home due to flooded roads.
The accident transpired at approximately 3 am local time, but the news did not reach many people until several hours later. The close to 300 passengers, many related, were from the villages of Kpada, Egbu, and Gakpan in Kwara, with sources indicating that at least 64 individuals were from one village and around 40 from another.
It was revealed that most of the passengers were not wearing life jackets or any safety gear. Such tragic incidents are unfortunately common at the confluence of the Niger and Benue rivers. A similar boat accident in this region in May 2021 led to around 160 fatalities.