No fewer than seventeen people are feared dead after a boat conveying 23 passengers capsized on Friday in Adamawa state.
According to an eye witness, Faisal Rugange, the incident occurred in the early hours of the day when a boat conveying locals capsized in Njuwa Lake across Rugange village in Yola South Local Government Area.
The victims were said to be on their way to Yola the state capital for business, Faisal said.
“It was raining when the accident happened. A heavy windstorm blew water into the boat and it capsized instantly,” the eyewitness revealed.
He added that although the local boat was carrying more than 20 passengers, only six were rescued by local divers.
The Executive Secretary, Adamawa State Emergency Management Agency, Mohamed Suleiman, who confirmed the ugly incident said one person died and five had been rescued but 17 others were yet to be seen.
Adamawa Police spokesman SP Suleiman Nguroje, said the command had deployed Marine police officers to help in the rescue operation.
However, he stated that he could not give the actual number of those in the ill-fated boat as the rescue operation was still on.