Boat Accident Claims 27 Lives In Kwara

At least 27 individuals have died in the Gbajibo community of Kwara State’s Kaiama Local Government Area due to a boat disaster.

The disaster came just seven months after a similar incident claimed the lives of 100 people in the neighbourhood.

The boat was carrying people back from a market in Niger State when it sank.

An eyewitness and survivor of the incident described how the tragedy occurred three nights ago while they were returning from Niger State. The eyewitness’s account states that the overloaded boat capsized.

Although he was unable to confirm the actual number of passengers on board, he did state that severe winds from an incoming storm contributed to the event.

The Chairman of Kaiama Local Government Area, Abdullah Danladi, who led a government delegation to sympathise with the victims’ relatives, stated that the government would no longer tolerate the near- annual occurrence of such disasters.

He also announced plans to form a committee to regulate the use of life jackets, limit nighttime travel, and implement other safety precautions.

The Emir of Kaiama, Alhaji Muazu Umar, indicated that awareness initiatives would be enhanced to guarantee that passengers and boat operators adhere to safety regulations for water transport.

Last October, a boat accident in Gbajibo village, a border hamlet between Kwara and Niger states, resulted in the deaths of 60 people, most of whom were women and children.

The locally built wooden boat, which could transport 100 passengers, was carrying approximately 300 people when it overturned.

Two days after the unfortunate occurrence, President Bola Tinubu expressed his condolences to the boat mishap victims and their families.

He asked the National Inland Waterways Authority (NIWA) to study the recent spate of boat accidents in Niger and around the country and propose strategies to combat the trend.