At least 11 persons, including a pregnant woman and six children, are feared dead following a tragic boat accident on River Benue in Makurdi Local Government Area of Benue State.
The victims were among over 40 passengers aboard a boat that capsized on Saturday evening while returning from a burial ceremony.
According to a local resident, Daniel, the passengers were travelling back to Daududawadawa, an island community located behind the Nigerian Army School of Military Engineering Barracks in the North Bank area of Makurdi, after attending the burial of a relative.
Daniel said the incident occurred between 7 p.m. and 8 p.m. during a heavy downpour accompanied by strong winds, causing the boat to overturn midway through the journey.
Confirming the incident, the Commander of Operation Shara (Sweep), a local vigilante group in the North Bank area, Nura Umar, said the passengers had attended the burial of a woman from their community at Wadata.
According to Umar, the deceased woman had been taken to a private hospital in North Bank on Saturday morning, where she later died.
“The relatives and sympathisers from the island community took her remains to Wadata for burial. After the burial, they boarded a boat to return to Daududawadawa community,” he said.
“At about 7 p.m., heavy rain and strong winds started, and the boat capsized halfway into the journey. There were over 40 passengers on board, and 11 were feared dead.”
Umar disclosed that four bodies had so far been recovered and buried, while divers and local rescue teams continued efforts to locate the remaining victims.
He further revealed that one of the survivors had a baby strapped to her back but lost the child in the accident.
Search and rescue operations were still ongoing as of the time of filing this report, with fears that the death toll could rise.
When contacted, the Benue State Police Command Public Relations Officer, DSP Udeme Edet, said she had yet to receive an official report on the incident.
The tragic incident has thrown the affected community into mourning, with residents calling for improved safety measures for water transportation along the River Benue.
