Authorities in Zamfara state in northwestern Nigeria have reported that four people are feared to have died after a boat capsized in a river in Bukkuyum Local Government Area on Tuesday, September 17.
This latest incident occurred just three days after an earlier mishap that left over 40 people dead near the town of Gummi, which is also in Zamfara.
Local residents in Bukkuyum have rescued a number of survivors and recovered the bodies of two victims from the surrounding waters. Among the survivors are 12 people who are reportedly unconscious and are being treated in hospital.
Another two people who were on the boat are still missing.
One survivor told reporters that the boat was carrying more than 50 people, mostly small children, when it capsized.
A local official in Bukkuyum has attributed the incident to overloading and the crew’s failure to observe navigation safety protocols. The same official said that the 12 unconscious survivors will receive government aid and that measures will be implemented to prevent such mishaps from occurring in the state's waters.