150 Rescued, Others Missing As Boat With 300 Passengers Capsizes

No fewer than 150 passengers have been rescued while 25 others were confirmed dead after the boat conveying over 300 passengers along the River Niger from Mundi Community to Gbajibo capsized.

Osun Defender gathered that the 25 confirmed dead include four females and 21 males, as about 150 people aboard the boat were rescued alive by divers who swung into action immediately after the incident.

The Director General of the Niger State Emergency Management Authority, Abdullahi Arah, in a statement, gave an update on the recovered bodies from the 150 persons who were declared missing.

He added the boat was sailing from Mundi Community with a population of almost 300 passengers comprising mostly women and children for Mawlid celebration at Gbajibo.

“Sixteen corpses have been recovered from the boat accident in Niger State. They are two females and 14 males,” he stated.

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Meanwhile, the DG had earlier updated that nine corpses had been recovered, made up of two females and seven males.

However, Arah revealed that a search and resume operations has been initiated between the NSEMA and the state ministry of transportation.

“NSEMA is directing and monitoring search and rescue operations in collaboration with the State Ministry of Transport, Mokwa Local Government Emergency Committee, brave local divers, and other community volunteers,” he said.

Arah said over 150 people had been rescued alive, saying that search and rescue operations were still ongoing to rescue more victims.