42 Dead, 100 Missing In Boat Mishap In Malili Village, Niger State

No fewer than 42 people were on Friday drowned in a boat mishap on River Niger close to Malilli village in Borgu Local Government Area of Niger.
The boat which had over 150 passengers instead of 60 which is the boat's capacity, capsized midway and drowned the passengers.
The passengers were traders returning from Malili village after the day's market.

Local divers from Malili village have so far recovered 42 corpses, while efforts are being intensified to rescue possible survivors or the corpses of those drowned.

The Secretary to the State Government, Alhaji Saidu Ndako, confirming the boat mishap, said:

``I received the information late in the night that a boat had capsized and 42 persons have drowned in the incident, while rescue operation is ongoing.
We believe that the boat was overload because the boat’s capacity was put at 60 passengers, but over 150 passengers were said to be on board during the incident.``The debris in the swollen river may also have been responsible for the incident,’’

Ndako said that the government condoled with the family of those who had lost their loved ones, and pray that Allah grant them the fortitude to bear the irreparable loss.