Six dead as overloaded boat capsizes in Benue

A tragic boat accident at the Buruku crossing in Buruku Local Government Area of Benue State has claimed the lives of at least six people, most of them students heading back to school.

The incident occurred late Monday night when a wooden boat transporting passengers across the river suddenly went under. Several individuals are still unaccounted for, while rescue efforts continue.

According to local sources, the disaster happened around 11p.m. as the boat made its way toward the Buruku side of the river. The vessel, which was reportedly loaded with both passengers and vehicles, overturned midway through the trip.

An eyewitness attributed the tragedy to excessive loading, insisting the accident could have been prevented.

He said: “The boat, as you know, is a wooden one, and it was carrying passengers and cars across the river to Buruku when it suddenly sank.

There were over 45 persons on that boat, including vehicles. It was simply overloaded.

“While about 35 passengers were rescued, six deaths, mostly students, have so far been confirmed, with others still unaccounted for. Most of the victims were students returning to schools in Gboko and nearby communities. This is very unfortunate. This tragedy could have been avoided.”

He lamented what he described as recurring carelessness along the waterways, adding: “Every year, we record this kind of tragedy. Authorities will issue statements assuring that it won’t happen again, but nothing concrete is done to ensure the safety of waterway users.”

Reacting to the development, the state Commissioner for Marine and Blue Economy, Mr. Denis Iyaghigba, said he got the report with “grave concern and deep distress,” calling the incident a stark reminder of the hazards linked to unregulated river transport.

In a statement issued by his media aide, Lubem Gena, the commissioner condoled with the affected families and the Buruku community.

“Preliminary reports indicate that the mishap occurred in the course of routine river transportation,” he said.

Iyaghigba added that a comprehensive probe has begun to uncover the immediate and underlying causes of the accident.

He further stressed that disregard for safety rules would no longer be tolerated, stating that the ministry would intensify enforcement efforts, including vessel checks, licensing of operators, awareness campaigns for passengers, and stricter supervision of river transport operations across the state.

Attempts to contact the Chairman of Buruku LGA, Mr. Raymond Zege, were unsuccessful at the time of filing this report. The state Police Public Relations Officer, Udeme Edet, who earlier said he would respond to inquiries, had yet to follow up.