A tragedy in northwestern Nigeria left 15 children dead. Nearly two dozen other people were also involved in the incident, although they were eventually found alive.
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Overturning Boat On The Way To Get Firewood
Aliyu Abubakar – a Nigerian political figure – spoke to Agence France-Presse (AFP) about the issue, France 24 report.
He noted that the children were on their way to collect firewood when the boat eventually capsized. Those who drowned — 13 girls and two boys — “were picked up by local rescue teams and buried in the village.”
“Fifteen bodies, 13 girls and two boys, were found by local rescue teams and buried in the village.”
France 24 indicates that the majority of such river tragedies are caused by factors such as overcrowding, flooding and poor maintenance. It is also noted that water transport is very common in the area and some rivers have become important trade routes.
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CNN provide more details, like a police spokesman Sanusi Abubakar told the outlet that 36 people were on board at the time the boat sank. While 15 people were killed, 21 were saved.
“There were 36 people on the plane. 21 people were rescued and 15 drowned.”
At least 15 people were killed after a boat capsized in Sokoto state, northwest Nigeria, authorities told CNN. https://t.co/T7XUK8HoLG
– CNN International (@cnni) May 10, 2023
Summary of similar tragedies in Nigeria
The incident is the latest overwater tragedy to rock Nigeria.
Based on CBS newsFlooding in the southern part of the state killed at least 76 people in December.
Eight months earlier, a strangely similar situation had occurred after 29 children drowned while on their way to collect firewood.
Another river incident in May 2021 is believed to have left more than 150 people missing. In addition, only 20 individuals were rescued and Yusuf Birma of the National Inland Waterways Administration spoke about the situation, guard report.
“The capacity of the boat is not enough for 180 passengers. As we said, only 20 people have been rescued, four have been confirmed dead while the remaining 156 are still missing and they are believed to be in the water.”
Birma added: ‘The boat involved was an old and very weak wooden boat, but these people didn’t listen when we persuaded them to reduce the number of passengers they carried on board.
