NO fewer than six people have been confirmed dead, while 15 others have been rescued following a canoe mishap in Ringim Local Government Area of Jigawa State.
News Point Nigeria reports that the incident occurred at about 4 p.m. on Sunday in Malamawa village, where about 40 passengers were said to have boarded the canoe before it capsized, leaving several persons missing.
Rescue operations were still ongoing as of the time of filing this report, with officials of the Jigawa State Emergency Management Agency deployed to the scene in search of survivors and victims.
Confirming the development, the Jigawa State Commissioner for Special Duties, Auwal Sankara, said the government had intensified efforts to locate everyone involved in the accident.
“We have so far recovered six bodies and rescued 15 persons alive. Search operations are still ongoing,” Sankara said.
The commissioner assured that emergency responders would continue the operation until all those involved in the mishap had been accounted for.
“We will continue the rescue mission until every single person is found, dead or alive,” he stated.
Eyewitnesses attributed the tragedy to overloading, raising fresh concerns over compliance with safety regulations on local waterways.
Authorities, however, said they were yet to ascertain the exact number of passengers still missing as rescue efforts continue.
