At least six people, mostly students returning to school, have been confirmed dead following a boat accident at the Buruku river crossing in Buruku Local Government Area of Benue State.
Several others remain missing after a wooden boat transporting passengers and vehicles sank late Monday night.
The incident occurred around 11:00 p.m. as the boat approached the Buruku side of the river. Witnesses say the vessel was heavily overloaded before it capsized midway through the journey.
An eyewitness described the tragedy as avoidable. “There were over 45 people on a wooden boat carrying passengers and cars. It was simply overloaded,” he said.
He added that about 35 passengers were rescued alive, while six deaths have been confirmed and others are still unaccounted for.
“Most of the victims were students heading back to schools in Gboko and nearby communities. This is heartbreaking,” he said.
The witness also lamented recurring waterway accidents in the area.
“Every year we hear promises that safety will improve, but nothing changes. This tragedy could have been prevented,” he said.
Reacting to the incident, the state’s Commissioner for Marine and Blue Economy, Denis Iyaghigba, expressed “grave concern and deep distress,” calling the mishap a painful reminder of the dangers of unsafe inland water transport.
In a statement issued by his media aide, Lubem Gena, the commissioner said a full-scale investigation has been launched to determine the immediate and underlying causes of the accident, including possible safety violations and negligence.
Rescue and recovery operations have also been intensified to account for all passengers.
Iyaghigba warned that disregard for water transport safety standards would no longer be tolerated, announcing stricter enforcement measures, including vessel inspections, operator licensing, and increased monitoring of river transport activities across the state.
He reaffirmed the state government’s commitment to protecting lives, stressing that “economic development must never come at the expense of human safety.”