- At least 52 people died when a boat carrying farmers and workers to rice farms capsized in northwestern Nigeria’s Sokoto State, officials said on Friday.
- The boat capsized on Thursday while crossing a waterway near Gorau town in the Goronyo Local Government Area.
- Dozens of bodies, including children, have been recovered, according to Abdulkadir Yusuf, the Sokoto manager of the National Inland Waterways Authority.
- Most victims of the accident are reported to be children, with at least 40 children among the deceased.
- Authorities are still at the scene assessing the situation and working to determine the exact number of affected people.
- Local residents reported that the boat was carrying more than 70 people when it capsized.
- Victims were mostly aged between 10 and 15 years old, according to Nasiru Adamu, a politician at the Sokoto State legislature.
- The incident adds to a series of deadly boat accidents recorded on Nigeria’s waterways, often attributed to overcrowding and inadequate safety measures.
At least 52 people died when a boat capsized in Sokoto State, Nigeria, while transporting farmers to rice fields. The incident occurred on Thursday near Gorau town in the Goronyo Local Government Area, with local officials confirming the death toll and ongoing assessments of the scene.12
The head of operations of the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) in Sokoto State, Tukur Abubakar, confirmed that the death toll had risen to 52 as of Friday morning. Local residents reported that the boat was carrying more than 70 people when it capsized, with most victims being children aged 10 to 15 years old.457
According to Abdulkadir Yusuf, an area manager at the National Inland Waterways Authority, at least 40 children have been found among the deceased. Nasiru Adamu, a politician at the Sokoto State legislature, emphasized the young age of the victims, stating that those on board were mostly children.
The boat was reportedly transporting farmers and laborers to rice farms when it overturned while crossing a waterway. Samaila Garba, a resident, shared the tragic news that his 13-year-old granddaughter, Jamila Usman, was among the dead. The incident adds to a series of deadly boat accidents in Nigeria, where overcrowding and inadequate safety measures have been identified as contributing factors.9
Authorities are still at the scene assessing the situation and working to determine the exact number of affected people, as many have already been buried, according to a former councillor in Gorau.6
“The boat was carrying more than 70 people, and residents say almost every household in the community has been affected. Authorities are working to determine the exact number of victims, with at least 40 children's bodies recovered so far.”
