The death toll in Nigeria’s boat capsize accident rose to 60 on Thursday morning, while some of the rescued people remain in critical condition, officials said. They said around 50 people have been rescued since Tuesday morning.
The eyewitnesses told reporters on Wednesday that the accident occurred after their boat hit a tree trunk, which turned it upside down. The state Emergency Management Agency (SEMA) in a statement said that they have recovered dozens of bodies and rescued 50 people. Two more people are reported to be missing.
The reports on Thursday said that figures have now reached 60 and could rise further as some of the people remain in critical condition. The accident took place around 11 a.m. local time (10 a.m. UTC) on Tuesday. The boat had left Tungan Sule in the Malale district and was heading towards Dugga.
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The boat submerged after hitting a tree stump near the Gausawa community in the Borgu Local Government Area and capsized. The officials added, “The cause of the accident was attributed to the overloading and collision with a tree stump.”
According to state officials, these accidents are regular occurrences in Nigeria’s busy river networks and are usually caused by the overloading and poor maintenance of the ferry vessels and boats.
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