No fewer than , 15 people have died in a boat mishap in Tijana, Munya Local Government Area of Niger State while several others are still missing.
The boat mishap occurred at about 6:00 pm on Saturday when the villagers were returning from a local market in Zumba, in Shiroro Local Government Area of the state.
The Sarkin Kasuwan (Head of the Market) of Zumba, Mallam Adamu Ahmed, who confirmed the incident to our correspondent said the local boat was carrying over 60 people, including women and children when it capsized due to a heavy windstorm.
Among the victims were some returnees who had earlier fled their homes with their children due to bandits’ attacks.
Ahmed said 17 people have been rescued alive through the efforts of local divers who swung into action immediately after the incident was reported.
The local divers had defied the heavy downpour to continue their rescue operation as at the time of filing this reports as no help yet from the government.
Recall that a similar boat mishap in the area claimed 13 lives in 2017 when a boat carrying 30 people capsized midway into their journey to the same Zumba market.
Our Correspondent reliably gathered that the villagers were returning from a local market in Zumba in Shiroro local government area of the state when the boat capsized.
It was further gathered that the boat must have been overloaded as it was carrying no fewer than sixty passengers which were mostly women and children.
Heavy windstorm was also attributed to the ugly incident.
Speaking on the development, the Sarkin Kasuwan (Head of the Market) of Zumba, Mallam Adamu Ahme said part of the victims were part of the villagers who fled their different communities after bandits had recently sacked them from their ancestral homes.
He said , “the boat was carrying no fewer than sixty passengers and there was heavy windstorm and these two factors may have contributed to the fatality.”
Already,17 people have been rescued alive through the efforts of local divers who swung into action immediately the incident was reported and they are still on the rescue operation of several others,” he remarked.
