An estimated 85 people were taking the overloaded boat on October 7 when flooding of the Niger River caused it to tip over
Officials in Nigeria have confirmed that 76 people were killed and an undetermined number have gone missing after a boat capsized and sank in the Niger River in the state of Anambra in the country’s south-east on Friday, October 7, according to Baird Maritime.
The incident occurred as the vessel was transporting over 90 people who were attempting to flee Anambra’s Ogbaru area due to rising flood waters.
The National Inland Waterways Authority (NIWA), the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA), and other local partners were immediately deployed to the area to conduct search and rescue (SAR) operations.
However, an official said that only 15 survivors have so far been rescued from the surrounding waters.
On Sunday, October 9, President Muhammadu Buhari said that SAR operations will continue in order to account for the boat’s occupants who may still be missing.
Mr Buhari has also ordered the relevant government agencies to review the safety protocols that apply to the country’s ferries to ensure that similar incidents will be avoided in the future.
“The water level is very high and too risky for a smooth search and rescue operation,” Thickman Tanimu, the southeast coordinator of the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) told AFP.
He said the flooding was the worst the country has seen in years, with the water level around one-tenth higher than a decade ago.
NEMA requested the Nigerian Air Force provide helicopters for the rescue operation.
Anambra state governor Charles Soludo urged residents of flood-ravaged areas to relocate, while adding that the government would provide relief to those affected by the disaster.
“This development is still a shock to the government and good people of Anambra State. I sympathise with the families of people involved,” Mr. Soludo said in a statement
Boat accidents are common in Nigeria because of overloading, speeding, poor maintenance and disregard for traffic rules.
Since the start of the rainy season, many regions of Nigeria have been ravaged by floods. More than 300 have been killed and at least 100,000 made homeless in the country’s worst incidents since 2012, according to the emergency services.
