By; BALA B. BITRUS, Minna
No fewer than thirty five persons have drowned at the Malale river of Borgu area of Niger State following a mishap late Sunday afternoon.
Search and rescue operations by local fishermen and divers have been ongoing all day since the boats incident. The overloaded boat was travelling from Yawuri in Kebbi State to Malale in Borgu area of Niger State when the boat capsized midstream.
The boat was ferrying over a hundred passengers on the waterway as commuters along with their goods, mostly farm produce and livestock when it suddenly began to tilt after the canoe hit the stud of a submerged tree and overturned its human and goods cargo into the water.
Eye witness account said the incident occurred on Sunday afternoon as the canoe approached Malale axis of the waterway.
The canoe was believed to have sailed from the coastal area of Yawuri and was travelling from Yawuri market where it took off from to a local jetty at Sabon Yamu area of Malale village.
Most of the victims were from Sabon Yamu village of Borgu area of Niger state and they were returning home after their business at the Yawuri market.
As at Monday afternoon, only the corpses of thirty five persons were recovered from the bed of the river. Locals from the area said the rescue work was being hampered because of the huge deluge of water as the river was full at season from July, August, September to November every year.
As a result of the incident, the entire Yamu village and surrounding villages have mobilized to the scene even as the council area has been thrown into mourning as families whose loved ones had travelled to the weekly Yawuri market have become disturbed and apprehensive over the possibility that they could be among those who had perished.
Our correspondent recalls that incidences of boat/canoe mishap are almost perennial occurrence in most coastal areas of Niger state.
Only last April, the state government procured thousands of float jackets for use by passengers onboard means of waterway transport system across the state.
The state government had warned all canoe and boat operators in parts of the state to ensure all their passengers use the float jackets.
Waters from the coastal areas of the state have remained major killers of rural dwellers on near yearly basis.
