ABUJA, Nigeria (AP) — A minimum of 40 individuals have drowned in a ship accident on a river in northwest Nigeria, mentioned President Bola Tinubu on Sunday.
The accident occurred in Zamfara state, as farmers had been attempting to get to their land, mentioned Tinubu in an announcement. The president promised help for the victims and directed emergency businesses to evaluate the incident.
Yazid Abubakar, a police spokesperson in Zamfara, advised The Related Press the accident occurred on Saturday and that 5 individuals had been rescued, however 40 are nonetheless lacking. It was not instantly clear how many individuals had been on the boat when it went down.
The boat was carrying principally farmers who use the crossing usually to promote produce on the markets and locals say they’re typically overloaded.
Zamfara state is rampant with armed teams who kidnap for ransom, metal cattle and interact in unlawful mining.
Boat accidents are widespread in distant communities throughout Nigeria due to overloading and boats which can be in poor situation.
In August, greater than 20 individuals died in a ship accident on a river in southern Nigeria after the engine exploded.
Most boats don’t carry life jackets or have correct security measures in place, say locals.
