Ofure Akhigbe
A devastating boat accident in north-central Nigeria has claimed more than 60 lives, with dozens still missing after an overloaded vessel capsized on Tuesday morning.
The wooden boat, carrying over 100 passengers, struck a submerged tree stump near Gausawa community in Borgu around 11 a.m. before overturning and plunging everyone onboard into the water.
Officials said most of the victims were women and children. Ten survivors remain in critical condition, while emergency teams and local divers continue search and rescue operations.
“The death toll is rising,” Abdullahi Baba Ara, chairman of Borgu Local Government, told reporters. “We are doing everything we can, but the scale of this tragedy is immense.”
Community leaders described the disaster as catastrophic. “Entire families have been lost,” said Sa’adu Inuwa Muhammad, district head of Shagumi.
Authorities blamed overloading for the accident, a recurring cause of fatal boat mishaps across Nigeria. Poor maintenance, weak safety enforcement, and unpredictable weather are also common risks on the nation’s waterways.
The tragedy underscores growing calls for stricter regulation and improved safety standards on inland transport routes.