Seventy-six people, almost all of the passengers on an overloaded boat, were killed when it sank in Nigeria on Friday during a flood in the Niger River, President Muhammadu Buhari announced on Sunday.
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Some 85 people were on board the boat, which was sailing in Anambra state, in the south-east of the country, when rising waters caused the vessel to capsize.
“The boat which was (reportedly) carrying 85 people is believed to have capsized following flooding in the Ogbaru area of the state, and emergency services have confirmed a death toll of 76,” it said. Mr. Buhari’s office.
“I pray for the rest of the souls of the deceased and for the safety of all, as well as for the well-being of the family members of the victims of this tragic accident,” added the president.
Anambra State Governor Charles Soludo extended his support to the families of the victims.
“This news is still a shock to the government and the good people of Anambra State. I extend my sympathy to the families of those affected,” Soludo said in a statement.
Obstructed rescues
Earlier in the day on Sunday, rescue services reported that rising waters were hampering a search for people missing since their boat sank on Friday.
“The water level is (…) too high for an effective search and rescue operation,” Thickman Tanimu, southeast coordinator of the National Emergency Management Agency, told AFP on Sunday ( NOT MY).
Mr. Tanimu said the water level was 11% higher than during the heavy floods that occurred ten years ago in this vast West African country of more than 200 million inhabitants.
He added that NEMA had contacted the Nigerian Air Force to provide helicopters for the rescue operations.
Accidents involving boats are common in Nigeria. They are often linked to overloading of vessels, excessive speed, poor maintenance and non-compliance with traffic rules.
Since the onset of the rainy season, many parts of Nigeria have been ravaged by floods.
More than 300 people have been killed and at least 100,000 others left homeless in the country’s worst flooding since 2012, according to emergency services.
Thousands of farmlands and crops have also been flooded, raising fears of food shortages and starvation in a country already dealing with the aftermath of the Covid-19 pandemic and war in Ukraine.