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A ferry disaster is taking place in Nigeria. After an overloaded riverboat ruptured and sank, 140 people were missing, fearing being drowned.
Officials said more than 140 people were missing after the overloaded ship “divided into two” and sank in Nigeria, fearing drowning.
The chief executive of Abdullahi Buhari Wara in the Ngaski region said today that so far, only 22 survivors and one body have been found.
The ship was carrying about 160 passengers when it sank in the Niger River.
It fell apart, leaving the central state of Niger and heading to Walla, northwest of Kebbi.
Walla said: “The rescue operation is ongoing, but only 22 survivors and one body were found.”
“We are talking about 140 passengers missing.”
River boat accidents on Nigerian waterways are very common, mainly due to overcrowding, bad weather and lack of maintenance, especially during the rainy season each year.
Mr. Wara blamed the Kebbi accident on overloading because the ship could only accommodate 80 passengers.
The official said that the ship was also filled with bags of gold ore.
Many passengers returned from the newly discovered gold mine in Niger.
Valla said: “They usually go there at night and return to Valla in the morning.”
“Most of them are small businessmen, food vendors and local miners.”
Wara resident Qasimu Umar Wara said that locals expect more bodies to be washed in the coming days.
“The ship is overloaded. My brother is among those missing,” he said.
“This is the worst ship accident in this water.”
Kebbi Governor’s spokesperson Yahaya Sarki said the body is still being recovered.
Mr. Saki added: “We are currently unable to determine this number.”
One survivor, Buhari Abubakar, claimed that about 40 people have been rescued so far-more than the official figure.
However, many other passengers, mainly women and children, are still missing.
Earlier this month, an overloaded ship capsized in central Niger State, causing 30 people to drown.
Emergency workers said that the ship carrying 100 local merchants encountered a tree stump when it returned from the local market during the storm and split into two.
Niger is the main river in West Africa. The crescent flows through Guinea to Nigeria’s Niger Delta, and is the main local trade route for certain countries.
– with sun AFP
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