No fewer than 36 bodies have been recovered, with 114 still missing in the boat accident that occurred on Tuesday on the Niger River upstream of the Jebba Dam at Gbajibo Community in Mokwa Local Government Area of Niger State.
The boat was transporting about 300 passengers going for a Maulud celebration from new Gbajiko in Kwara State to old Gbajiko in Niger State, consisting of youths from Kwara State, when it capsized at about 8:30 pm.
About 150 out of the 300 passengers were rescued alive during the accident.
Through the joint efforts of the Niger State Emergency Management Agency, NSEMA, Niger State Ministry of Transport, the National Inland Waterways Authority, NIWA, Mokwa Local Government Emergency Committee, brave local divers, and other community volunteers, a total of 16 bodies were recovered on Wednesday.
Giving an update on the situation, Director General of NSEMA, Abdullahi Baba Arah, said in a statement that a total of 20 bodies were recovered today, Thursday, bringing the total to 36 bodies.
“As of 6 pm today, we have so far recovered about 36 bodies of those who drowned and died in the river. We recovered 16 yesterday and 20 today. And they have all been buried, ” he revealed.
Arah also stated that search-and-rescue operations are still ongoing to locate more bodies that are still in the river.
The tragedy was attributed to several violations of waterways codes that included overloading of the boat of 300 passengers, a sub-standard wooden boat, lack of safety life jackets, and night sailing at 8:30 pm.
Gbajibo boat accident: 36 bodies of victims recovered, 114 still missing