Hundreds of people feared dead as boat capsizes in Nigeria

By Nimi Princewill, CNN

Abuja, Nigeria (CNN) — Hundreds of people, including wedding guests, are feared dead in north-central Nigeria after a boat they were traveling in capsized in the river Niger early Monday, a local chief told CNN on Tuesday.

Abdul Gana Lukpada, a traditional chief in Kpada, in Patigi district of north-central Kwara State which is located along the banks of the river Niger, told CNN some stranded wedding guests had resorted to cross the river from neighboring Egboti village in Niger State to Kpada with a boat, following heavy rains that flooded the roads.

The boat, said to be carrying up to 300 people, overturned after hitting a tree trunk, Lukpada said of the accident which happened in the early hours of Monday.

“There was a marriage ceremony in a nearby village … Egboti village which is by the river Niger. The terrain of the community is terrible when it rains. After the ceremony, it rained, so those who attended with motorcycles could not ride the motorcycles out of the community. They decided to use a big boat to convey people out of Egboti,” he narrated.

“The boat was filled with up to 300 people — both males and females from various communities. It was early on Monday between 3:00 – 4:00 am. As they sailed, the boat hit a tree branch hiding in the water and it split into two. The volume of water was high, so it carried the passengers away. I’ve been informed that only 53 escaped. The rest are feared dead,” he added.

The local chief described the accident as “a big tragedy” adding that “I lost four of my neighbors.”

A spokesperson for the police command in Kwara, Ajayi Okasanmi, told CNN a team has been deployed to the area to carryout “on-the-spot assessment of what happened.”

The Kwara State government has sympathized with families of the victims, adding that it is monitoring rescue efforts in search of survivors, a spokesperson for the government, Rafiu Ajakaye, said in a statement made available to CNN Tuesday.

Boat accidents are common in northern Nigeria. Last month, at least 15 people died after a boat capsized in northwestern Sokoto State, authorities told CNN.

The-CNN-Wire
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