Abuja: At least 41 people died when a boat capsized in Nigeria’s northwestern state of Jamfara on Saturday. At the same time, 12 others were rescued by rescue workers. National legislator Suleiman Gummi, who represents Gummi-Bukkuyum constituency in Nigeria’s Federal House of Representatives, said on Sunday that there were more than 50 passengers and crew on board the boat. He said the boat capsized in the river near Gummi town in Gummi local government area of ​​​​Jamfara.

The passengers who drowned were farmers
Gummi said that the passengers were farmers who used to go to their fields in the nearby area by boat every day. According to news agency Xinhua, the authorities immediately sent other staff including local divers to the spot as soon as they received the information. At least a dozen people were rescued alive. Hassan Daura, head of the Jamfara State Emergency Management Agency, said in an interview with local media that most of the women and children were killed in the incident.

Five people rescued

President Bola Tinubu said the accident occurred while farmers were trying to access their land in Jamfara province. The president has promised support for the victims and directed emergency agencies to assess the accident. Jamfara police spokesman Yajid Abubakar said five people were rescued after the accident on Saturday, but 40 people are still missing. It is not yet clear how many people were on board when the boat sank.

Boat capsizing accidents are common in the West African country. Factors such as overloading, adverse weather conditions and operational errors are usually blamed for these incidents.