Harvest of deaths as 13 die in Niger boat accident

13 people including 11 women and two men have been killed in two separate boat accident in Magama Local Government Area of Niger State.

The incident involving the women occurred on Wednesday morning on River Kontagora while the victims were on their way to their farms in a nearby community.

Six of the women were said to have been rescued after the accident.

Meanwhile, the remains of eight of the women were recovered from the river yesterday, with three others still missing.

According to sources, among the dead were married women and underage girls. The boat was said to have capsized as a result of tidal waves.

Eyewitnesses said the Kontagora River over flooded its banks, following a heavy down pour the previous night.

Divers from the Niger State Emergency Management Agency (NSEMA) were said to have recovered the remains victims.

The Director General of NSEMA, Ahmed Ibrahim Inga, who confirmed the incident, said the accident involved women going to the farm.

He said that rescue operation is still ongoing and that the agency will make its findings known after the rescue operation is completed.

In a related development, two men were also confirmed dead in a boat mishap at New Busa, in Borgu Local Government Area of the state.

Inga said that the victims died last week during a trip from one part of the council area to another.

Meanwhile, Governor Alhaji Abubakar Sani Bello has condoled the affected families.



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