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No fewer than 150 passengers are feared drowned when the boat they were travelling in on Wednesday capsized on the River Niger upstream of Jebba dam in Gbajibo community in the Mokwa Local Government Area of Niger State
The cause of the accident is yet unknown but the boat was said to be ferrying about 300 passengers from the Mundi community to Gbajibo for Maulid celebrations.
Alhaji Abdullahi Baba-Arah,the Director-General of Niger State Emergency Management Agency (NSEMA), confirmed the incident in Minna on Wednesday in a statement, adding that a search and rescue operation was ongoing.
“The boat mishap occurred last night October 1, around 8:30 pm on the River Niger upstream Jebba dam,” he said.
“The boat was carrying approximately 300 passengers, mostly women and children, and was travelling from the Mundi community for Maulid celebrations at Gbajibo.
“The agency in collaboration with the state Ministry of Transport, Mokwa Local Government Emergency Committee, local divers, and community volunteers, are directing and monitoring search and rescue operations.”
The DG disclosed that about 150 passengers of the ill-fated boat had been rescued alive due to the prompt response from community volunteers assuring that NSEMA would provide accurate and timely updates on the incident.
