TheNewsGuru

Tag: Boat Mishap

  • Kebbi Boat Mishap: 36 Bodies Recovered, Many More Still Missing

    Kebbi Boat Mishap: 36 Bodies Recovered, Many More Still Missing

    Rescue workers have pulled three dozen bodies from the water after an overcrowded riverboat capsized in the Ingaski Local Government Area of Kebbi on Wednesday.

    Survivors and officials said only 20 people were rescued on Wednesday when the wooden boat ferrying passengers to a market broke apart and sank between Niger state and Wara in Kebbi state.

    “Five bodies were recovered yesterday and 31 bodies today, and the recovery operation is ongoing. More bodies are expected to be found,” Abubakar Shehu, a local official supervising the rescue operation said.

    “The bodies are bloated and now coming to the surface which makes it easy to spot them.”

    Riverboat tragedies have become commonplace in Nigeria, mostly due to overcrowding, weather and lack of maintenance, but Wednesday’s toll is one of the deadliest yet in recent years.

    President Muhammadu Buhari on Wednesday called the mishap “devastating” after the inland waterways authority had said only 20 people had been rescued and another 156 were still missing.

    “When the boat broke into two, I wondered if people were sinking into the water,” survivor Usman Umar said, standing by the riverbank in Ngaski area in Kebbi.

    “The boat capacity was something up to 150 people, us survivors can’t be even 20.”

    Ali Ibrahim Garba, wearing an orange life jacket standing near wooden boats on the river bank, said they were still searching for missing people after saving as many as they could.

    “Right now we are in search of three people, one male and two females,” he said.

    NIW’s local manager, Yusuf Birma told reporters on Wednesday the boat was overcrowded with around 180 people and went down an hour into its journey.

    Local district administrator Abdullahi Buhari Wara said the boat was also loaded with bags of sand from a gold mine.

    NIWA has also banned night-time sailing on the rivers to stop accidents and says overloading ships is a criminal offense, but skippers and crews often ignore the regulations.

    Early in May, 30 people drowned when an overloaded boat capsized in Niger state.

    The boat carrying 100 local traders also split into two after hitting a trunk during a storm as they were returning from a local market.

  • Buhari mourns victims of Kebbi boat mishap

    Buhari mourns victims of Kebbi boat mishap

    President Muhammadu Buhari has mourned the victims of a boat which capsized at Corner Libata in Ingaski Local Government Area of Kebbi State.

    Buhari in a statement issued on Wednesday by his spokesman, Garba Shehu, commiserated with the families of the victims.

    TheNewsGuru.com, TNG reports that more than 150 people were missing and feared drowned in northwest Nigeria after an overloaded boat ferrying passengers to a market sank in the Niger River, local officials said.

    The boat was travelling between central Niger state and Wara in northwest Kebbi state when it went down, National Inland Waterways Authority local manager Yusuf Birma told reporters.

    Reacting, President Buhari described the news of the capsizing as devastating, offering his heartfelt condolences to the families of those affected by this tragedy.

    According to the President’s spokesman, there are indications that the boat was overloaded and there is no official confirmation on the number of casualties.

    “While efforts are ongoing to recover more survivors, the President extends his gratitude to all those involved in the rescue efforts and wishes those injured from the accident quick recovery,” the statement partly read.

    The passengers were said to be heading to a market in Malele in Borgu local government area of Niger state when the boat sank an hour into the journey.

    Local district administrator Abdullahi Buhari Wara earlier blamed the accident on overloading as the boat was meant to ferry no more than 80 passengers.

    Boat tragedies are common on Nigerian waterways mostly due to overcrowding, bad weather and lack of maintenance, but Wednesday’s toll would be one of the deadliest recent accidents.

    “The vessel was also loaded with bags of sand from a gold mine,” he said.

    Early this month 30 people drowned when an overloaded boat capsized in Niger state.

    The boat ferrying 100 local traders split into two after hitting a stump during a storm as they were returning from a local market, according to emergency officials.

  • 15 die in Niger boat mishap, several others missing

    15 die in Niger boat mishap, several others missing

    A boat mishap in Niger state has left 15 persons dead with several others still missing.

    According to reports, the boat mishap occurred at about 6:00 pm on Saturday when the villagers were returning from a local market in Zumba, Shiroro Local Government Area of the state.

    The Sarkin Kasuwan (Head of the Market) of Zumba, Mallam Adamu Ahmed, who confirmed the incident to newsmen, said the local boat was carrying over 60 people, including women and children when it capsized due to a heavy windstorm.

    Among the victims were some returnees who had earlier fled their homes with their children due to bandits’ attacks.

    Ahmed said 17 people have been rescued alive through the efforts of local divers who swung into action immediately after the incident was reported.

    The local divers had defied the heavy downpour to continue their rescue operation as at the time of filing this reports as no help yet from the government.

    It could be recalled that a similar boat mishap in the area claimed 13 lives in 2017 when a boat carrying 30 people capsized midway into their journey to the same Zumba market.

  • Customs officer drowns in boat mishap

    Customs officer drowns in boat mishap

    The Nigerian Customs Service (NCS) Western Marine Command (WMC), on Wednesday said it lost an officer in a boat mishap on Monday.

    The Public Relations Officer, Idaho Sulaiman, disclosed this in a statement in Lagos.

    He said that the incident occurred at about 1810hrs, March 22, while operatives of the command, Akere Surveillance/Monitoring team under Idiroko Outstation, were acting on credible information along Vawhe-Isalu creeks.

    Sulaiman said that the team, led by Inspector of Customs (IC) Ajayi AS, had the mishap while trying to intercept a boat suspected to be carrying smuggled items.

    “The accident resulted to the death of Assistant Inspector of Customs (AIC) Aliyu AA by drowning.

    “The body of the deceased was found underneath the river with the assistance of villagers around the axis.

    “The body was taken to General Hospital Badagry and later deposited at the mortuary, having been certified dead by the doctor on call.

    “The corpse was transported by air on-board MAX air airline to Kano on March 23, on the request of the family of the deceased,” he said.

    He said that the deceased, who hailed from Funtua Local Government Area of Katsina was was born on July 10, 1987.

    According to him, Aliyu joined the NCS on Oct. 17, 2013 as Customs Assistant II (CAII) and got promoted to the rank of AIC on Jan. 1, 2019.

    “At this trying times, the Customs Area Controller, on behalf of the officers/men of the WMC, commiserate with the family of the deceased and pray for the repose of his soul and also for God to grant the deceased eternal rest,” he said.

  • 41 persons drown in DR Congo boat mishap

    41 persons drown in DR Congo boat mishap

    The bodies of 41 victims of a wrecked boat were recovered Thursday from Lake Albert, which lies between Uganda and the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DR Congo), official sources told PANA ijn Kinshasa on Saturday.

    An administrative source in Bunia, capital of the province of Ituri in the North-East of DR Congo said the shipwreck occurred on Wednesday, not far from the Kolokoto fishing camp located in the Wagongo chiefdom in the territory of Mahagi in the province of Ituri.

    The outboard canoe belonging to a Ugandan had on board about 100 traders from the fishing camp of Runga in Mahagi territory who went to market at Panyimur, located in the district of Pakwac, in Uganda, when it capsized, following a strong wind on Lake Albert.

    The search continued in the hope of finding more than 80 other missing persons.

    In the DR Congo, shipwrecks often result in very heavy tolls due to overloading and dilapidation of the boats, the lack of life jackets on board, and night navigation and the fact that many passengers cannot swim.

    The navigation of small boats is prohibited at night on Congolese waters by the authorities. But this measure is regularly violated by carriers to avoid harassment.

    Last June, 18 people drowned after their two boats sank on Lake Albert.

  • Boat mishap: Police confirm recovery of bodies of 6 personnel in Bayelsa

    Boat mishap: Police confirm recovery of bodies of 6 personnel in Bayelsa

    The Police Command in Bayelsa has announced the recovery of bodies of the six policemen who went missing after a boat mishap in Southern Ijaw Local Government area of the state.

    The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the incident occurred on Dec. 4 when one of the speed boats conveying 11police personnel from Yenagoa to Southern Ijaw capsized at Oporoma.

    NAN also reports that five of the police personnel were rescued immediately, while six others were missing.
    The command’s Public Relations Officer, SP Asinmi Butswat, confirmed the incident in a statement made available to NAN on Sunday in Yenagoa.

    He said that the bodies of the missing police personnel, recovered by a combined team of officers from the Marine Department of the command and local divers, had been deposited in one of the morgues in the state.

    Butswat, who expressed the command’s condolences with the families of the deceased said that investigation had commenced to ascertain the cause of the mishap.

  • Boat mishap: Gov. Ortom urges community to cooperate with rescue team

    Boat mishap: Gov. Ortom urges community to cooperate with rescue team

    Gov. Samuel Ortom of Benue has urged members of Kwaghter community, where a boat capsized, to cooperate with the police rescue team to locate those missing.

    Sympathising with people over the incident, Ortom in a statement signed by his Chief Press Secretary, Mr Terver Akase on Monday in Makurdi, described the incident as painful and unfortunate.

    The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that 23 where declared missing when a boat they were travelling in capsized in River Benue.

    He said Marine Police personnel were immediately deployed to the area, assisted by local divers in rescuing the victims.

    The governor particularly consoled with ECAN Church, Ijaha, Makurdi Local Government Area which members were involved in the boat mishap.

    He reminded Benue people about the 2020 weather predictions on torrential rains and advised that those who travel by water should employ all safety measures to avoid unforeseen incidents.

    Ortom also enjoined Benue people to always observe COVID-19 prevention measures by staying away from crowded places to curb the spread of the disease.

  • One missing, three rescued as boat capsizes in Lagos

    One missing, three rescued as boat capsizes in Lagos

    The Lagos State Waterways Authority (LASWA) says one person is still missing while three rescued on Tuesday’s boat mishap at Lekki Shoreline, Lekki Phase 1, in the state.

    The General Manager, LASWA, Mr Oluwadamilola Emmanuel, disclosed this in a statement made available to newsmen in Lagos.

    Emmanuel said: “At about 4.30 p.m on the June 23, a local boat with four adult males on a boating expedition capsized due to water turbulence.

    “The quick collaborative effort of responders in the area was able to rescue 3 alive while one person is still missing.

    “Rescue effort is still ongoing for the missing person.”

    He said that the rescued victims were provided with medical care and released.

    The LASWA boss said that it was discovered that all occupants on board did not have lifejackets on.

    “Marine Police will carry out further investigation while LASEMA (Lagos State Emergency Management Agency) and LASWA will continue the search for the missing person,” he said.

    Emmanuel, who thanked God that all the four occupants were not missing, said that the incident had soiled its record of zero mishap in the last six months.

  • Boat mishap: 4 persons missing, 3 policemen, 15 others rescued

    The Police Command in Delta State has said four persons were still missing following the rescue of three policemen and fifteen other persons in a boat mishap in Delta State.

    TheNewsGuru (TNG) reports the boat mishap occurred along the water way at Ureju community, Warri North local government area of the State during the Governorship and State Assembly elections in the state.

    The Delta State Police Command updated on the development in a statement, saying rescue operation was still on for the other four persons who are still missing.

    Acting Police Public Relation Officer, PPRO ASP Chuks Oresewezie, also confirmed that no INEC official or NYSC member was involved in the boat mishap as earlier rumoured.

    “The report available to the Command reveals that on the 9/3/2019 a boat conveying twenty- two (22) passengers, three (3) Policemen and nineteen (19) members of the community returning from ward 3 Ebrohimi to Koko Jetty after the elections, at about 0120hrs capsized along the water way at Ureju community.

    “Eighteen passengers including three (3) Policemen and fifteen (15) natives have been successfully rescued, while four (4) passengers are still missing, two (2) of the rescued passengers have been rushed to the Oghara General Hospital.

    “No INEC official or NYSC member was involved in the boat mishap as earlier rumored. The search for the missing passengers is still in progress.

    The Commissioner of Police Delta State Command, CP Adeyinka Adeleke has reiterated his commitment to ensure the safety and security of all Deltans at all times, the statement further said.

     

  • Police in Delta confirm 4 missing in boat mishap

    Police in Delta confirm 4 missing in boat mishap

    Police in Delta have confirmed four persons missing in a boat mishap which occurred in the Benin River, Warri North Local Government Area of the state.

    The Acting Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO) in the state, ASP Chucks Orisewezie confirmed the incident to newsmen on Sunday in Warri.

    Orisewezie said, ” a boat loaded with 22 persons which left Ebrohimi community and headed for Koko capsized around Ureju community at about 01:20 hours.

    “The occupants of the boat were three policemen and 19 community people.

    “Eighteen persons, including the three policemen have been rescued, while search is still on for the remaining four missing persons.

    “Two of the rescued victims have been taken to the hospital for medical care.

    “I must clarify that there were no Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) staff or NYSC members on board just as there were no election materials in the boat.

    “Investigation into the incident is already on,” Orisewezie said.

    Also, the Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC) in Delta, Dr Cyril Omorogbe, refuted reports that INEC staff were involved in the boat mishap.

    “I understand that my staff members and ad-hoc staff were not involved. They are safe.

    “I don’t think the mishap affected the materials because it happened later in the day, from what I know,” he said.

    Sources said the ill-fated boat was returning from an election duty in Ebrohimi community to Koko, the administrative headquarters of Warri North Local Government, when the incident happened.