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La Jornada Newspaper
Thursday, October 3, 2024, p. 25

Abuja. More than 100 people, most of them women and children, disappeared in the capsize of a boat that was transporting them after attending an Islamic festival in northwest Nigeria, authorities reported yesterday.

The locally made boat, which had a capacity of 100 people, was carrying about 300 passengers and capsized in the Niger River, Mokwa District, Niger State, on Monday night, according to the Agency for Emergency Management.

Such incidents are common in Nigeria, especially in remote communities where the lack of roads leaves many without alternatives. This is the fourth tragedy involving more than 100 travelers in northern Nigeria since mid-2023, and many of them have never been found.

The press reported that so far 11 bodies have been recovered from the river, nine men and two women.

At least 150 people were rescued yesterday morning amid a frantic search operation supported by local divers and volunteers, according to Abdullahi Baba Arah, director of Niger’s emergency services.

Experts noted that most boat incidents in Nigeria in recent years increasingly point to regulatory failures and are often attributed to vessels that are well over capacity or in poor condition.