Sokoto office of National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) has announced that 81 bodies have been recovered following the boat mishap that occurred in Wara, Ngaski LGA of Kebbi state.
The unfortunate incident took place early on Wednesday, May 26, when the boat carrying over 150 passengers left Loko Mina in Niger State at about 7.30 am and was heading to a market in Kebbi State according to Mary Noel-Berje, a spokeswoman for the Niger State government.
Read Also: Kebbi Boat Mishap: National Inland Waterways Declares 4 Dead, 156 Missing
The wooden boat capsized near Wara, a town on the shores of Kainji Lake, part of the Niger River, said Yahaya Sarki, a spokesman for the governor of Kebbi.
While 22 persons were rescued alive, more than 100 persons were feared to have drowned in the incident.
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A resident had said the boat took off from Loko in Niger state with more than 150 passengers.
The resident stated;
We are afraid that many people may have died from this mishap, because according to report, the boat took off with over 150 persons and many are still missing.
Search-and-rescue efforts are ongoing, with joint operations involving NEMA officials from Sokoto and Kebbi, the Nigerian Red Cross, security operatives, and residents.
According to a statement from Sokoto NEMA office, as at Thursday, 59 bodies had been recovered from the river.
Read Also: Kebbi Boat Accident: 36 Bodies Recovered, Many More Still Missing
The statement reads;
Twenty two (22) more dead bodies has been recovered today (Friday 28-05-2021) following the recent boat mishap which occurred last Wednesday in Wara, Ngaski Local Government Area, Kebbi state.
So far, at the time of filling this report, which is the third day since the incident happened, rescuers have successfully removed 81 dead bodies in total from the river.
It added;
It will be recalled, as at yesterday (Thursday 27-05-2021) 59 dead bodies were recovered from the water, while 22 other victims were rescued alive. However, search and rescue operation still continues in order to recover more bodies.
According to a statement from the Sokoto NEMA office, as of Thursday, 59 bodies had been recovered from the river. It has now been updated to 81.
