Boat mishap claims over 40 lives in Zamfara

At least forty people have reportedly died following a boat accident in Gummi town, Zamfara State.

Local resident Musa Ahmed shared that the victims were going to their farms early Saturday morning when their boat capsized and sank in the river.

Ahmed noted that the Emir of Gummi, Justice Lawal Hassan (rtd), has extended his condolences to the families of those affected by the tragedy.

According to Ahmed, the boat was carrying 53 people, including farmers and children, of whom only 12 were rescued, including the boat’s captain. The remaining 41 passengers are reported dead.

“When the boat capsized today Saturday morning, I was one of those who were present near the river close to Gummi town.

“Immediately the boat capsized, it sank into the river with all the passengers.

“We did our best to rescue them but unfortunately we were only able to bring out 12 persons alive including the captain of the boat.

“The bodies of the other 41 passengers were evaluated out of the water.”

He told newsmen on phone that the Sole Administrator of Gummi local government area, Na’Allah Musa said the boat was overloaded.

He said the captain of the boat told the passengers that some of them must come down but all of them refused to listen.

“There were too many people on the boat. The captain tried to reduce the number of passengers but was unsuccessful. With no choice left, he proceeded with the overloaded vessel.”

The boat eventually capsized and sank due to the excessive weight. Four passengers managed to swim to safety, while the rest were rescued by emergency teams.

We are still searching for additional missing passengers, and the exact number of fatalities remains uncertain,” said the Sole Administrator.