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29 Dead, 11 Missing as Overloaded Boat Capsizes in Niger
By Lizzy Chirkpi
A tragic boat accident has claimed at least 29 lives in Gausawa community, Borgu Local Government Area of Niger State, with 11 others still missing.
50 passengers were reportedly rescued as of the time of filing this report.
The mishap occurred at about 11:30 a.m. on Wednesday when an overloaded wooden boat, carrying around 90 passengers, struck a tree stump and overturned.
Confirming the incident, the Director General of the Niger State Emergency Management Agency (NSEMA), Mallam Ibrahim Arah, said the ill-fated boat had departed Tugan Sule in Shagunu ward and was heading to Dugga.
“The passengers, mostly women and children, were travelling to attend a condolence visit when the accident happened,” Arah stated.
As of 4:00 p.m. on Wednesday, 29 bodies had been recovered by local divers, while 50 people were rescued alive. Search and rescue operations remain ongoing to locate the remaining 11 passengers.