At Least 64 Feared Dead After Boat Capsizes With 70 Onboard

• The Saturday, September 14 incident has left several people feared dead, mostly women and children; only six people have been rescued
• Aminu Nuhu Falale, a local administrator who led the rescue mission, confirmed the incident, stating that it was the second in Gummi town
• Di Emir of Gummi, Justice Hassan Lawal (retired) conveyed his condolences to the families affected and prayed for their strength
• A traditional ruler revealed that the area has only two boats to transport more than 900 farmers to Gummi town daily, leading to overcrowding

Nancy Odindo, a journalist at TUKO.co.ke, brings more than three years of experience covering politics, news, and feature stories across digital and print media in Kenya.

Nigeria - A tragic boat accident in Zamfara State, northwest Nigeria, has left at least 64 people feared dead.

The incident occurred on Saturday, September 14, when a wooden boat carrying 70 farmers capsized while crossing a river to reach farmlands near Gummi town.

How many people were rescued?

Yahoo reported that local authorities quickly mobilised residents for a rescue operation, which lasted for three hours. By the end of the effort, six survivors had been rescued from the water.

An eyewitness reported that most of the boat’s occupants were women and children. The boat's captain was among the survivors.

Aminu Nuhu Falale, a local administrator who led the rescue, confirmed this as the second incident in the Gummi local government area.

In response to the tragedy, Di Emir of Gummi, Justice Hassan Lawal (retired), expressed condolences to the victims' families, as BBC reported.

He described the incident as deeply tragic and prayed for forgiveness for the deceased and strength for their families.

Why did the boat capsize?

Meanwhile, emergency teams are continuing their search in hopes of finding more survivors.

The local traditional ruler noted that over 900 farmers depend on the river crossing daily to access their farmlands, but the area only has two boats available, often leading to overcrowding. The actual cause of the accident is yet to be determined.

This accident adds to a growing list of boat-related tragedies in Nigeria in recent times.

Family mourns lady who died in Mai Mahiu crash

In other news, a family in Migori painfully mourned their 23-year-old daughter who perished in a road accident at the Mai Mahiu escarpment in Nakuru county.

Becky Vivian was in a matatu that was transporting their uncle's body to Rongo for burial when an LPG tanker lost its brakes and rammed into their vehicle.

Becky had started providing for the family after landing a job four months ago.

Proofreading by Otukho Jackson, a multimedia journalist and copy editor at TUKO.co.ke