Yauri, Oct. 3, 2023 – About 30 persons were feared dead on Monday as a boat capsized in a river in Yauri Local Government Area of Kebbi State.
Bala Yauri, the Chairman of Yauri Local Government Area, confirmed the incident to the Voice of Nigeria (VOA).
He said the incident, which involved 50 passengers, had left the residents in the local government in deep sorrow.
Yauri said efforts were in top gear by local divers to locate the corpses of the passengers who drowned in the river.
“From the information I gathered, more than 50 persons were involved in the accident while some of them escaped, but as of now that I am talking to you, over thirty of them as still trapped in the river.
“We have mobilised the local divers to try and locate bodies of the victims for proper evacuation and possibly befitting burials in accordance with Islamic rights.
“The boat, as I heard, carried passengers who are mostly traders from either Niger State or Kebbi State alongside foodstuffs for sell before the unfortunate incident”
Alhaji Sani Yauri, an eye witness, confirmed that the accident was caused by a heavy wind which resulted in the driver losing control of the boat.
“I was there when the incident happened, it was as a result of heavy wind which resulted in the driver of the boat losing control and it capsized immediately.”
.
