A boat carrying about 22 passengers on board from Kasabu village in Agwara Local Government Area of Niger State to Yauri in Kebbi State has capsized.
Alhaji Salihu Garba, the acting Director General of the Niger State Emergency Management Agency (NSEMA), shared this information with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Minna.
Garba stated that the agency received a report about the boat accident that took place on Monday, between 11 am and 12 pm.
According to him, a survivor of the mishap said that the boat has about 22 passengers on board.
He said that search and rescue operations were ongoing by the local divers and boat owners under the supervision of the agency’s desk officer in Agwara.
He said no passenger has been recovered yet, adding that the mishap happened on Yauri market day.
Garba added that only after the market would families be able to declare their missing relatives.
He explained that it takes about 24 hours for any drowned person to surface atop water.
He attributed the cause of the incident to water hyacinth coupled with strong waves.