69 Missing, 29 Died As Rescue Ends In Capsized Boat in Benue River in Taraba
Sixty nine out of passengers in the boat which capsized in Benue River last Sunday in Taraba State, are still missing, according to the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA).
The 69 missing passengers are presumed dead.
NEMA on it’s X (formally Twitter) handle on Tuesday said it has ended the search of the river for survivors in the boat mishap.
According to NEMA, the boat was conveying 104 passengers when it capsized in the river in the Karim Lado Local Government Area.
The agency says before ending the rescue mission, 14 passengers were rescued alive, while 21 others were recovered dead.
Taraba Gov. Agbu Kefas called the accident a “monumental tragedy” and ordered the use of life jackets for boat passengers.
Read Also:
Forty Killed, 167 Missing In DR. Congo Boat Accident
“Our body of water, which is one of the longest in the region, should be a veritable source of wealth and not death,” the governor said, according to a statement issued Monday by his office.
Boat disasters are common in remote communities across the West African nation.
This is the third involving more than 100 passengers in just four months. Most are attributed to overloading. Good, accessible roads are often lacking in those areas.
Authorities were investigating the cause of this accident, said Taraba police spokesperson Usman Abdullahi. Locals and fishermen were helping rescue agencies.
Abdullahi said he feared that the operation could last for days because the river is flowing at its highest level.
“We don’t even expect to get the bodies anywhere near here,” he said.
