A tragedy in north-west Nigeria has reportedly killed 15 children. Nearly two dozen other people were also involved in the incident but were ultimately found alive.
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The boat capsized on the way to fetch firewood
Aliyu Abubakar – a Nigerian politician – spoke to Agence France-Presse (AFP) about the matter, France 24 reports.
He noticed that the children were going to get firewood when the boat eventually capsized. The drowned – 13 girls and two boys – were “recovered by local rescue teams and buried in the village”.
“Fifteen bodies, 13 girls and two boys, were recovered by local rescue teams and buried in the village.”
France 24 points out that most of these river tragedies are due to factors such as congestion, flooding and poor maintenance. It is also noted that waterway transport is predominant in the region and some rivers have become important trade routes.
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CNN The police spokesman gave more details Sanusi Abubakar informed the outlet that there were 36 people on board at the time of the boat accident. While 15 lost their lives, 21 were saved.
“There were 36 people on board. Twenty-one were rescued alive and 15 drowned.”
At least 15 people have died after a boat capsized in Nigeria’s northwestern state of Sokoto, authorities told CNN. https://t.co/T7XUK8HoLG
— CNN International (@cnni) May 10, 2023
An overview of similar tragedies in Nigeria
This incident is the latest waterborne tragedy to rock Nigeria.
Accordingly CBS NewsIn December, floods in the southern part of the state killed at least 76 people.
Eight months earlier, an eerily similar situation occurred after 29 children drowned while walking to the firewood.
In another incident on a river path in May 2021, more than 150 people were reported missing. In addition, only 20 people were rescued and Yusuf Burma from the National Inland Waterways Authority spoke about the situation: The guard reports.
“The boat’s capacity was not sufficient for the 180 passengers it was carrying. As we speak, only 20 people have been rescued alive, four have been confirmed dead, while the remaining 156 people are still missing and believed to be underwater.”
Burma added: “The boat involved was an old and very weak wooden boat, but these people did not want to listen when we made them aware of reducing the number of passengers they carry in their boats.”
