Tragically, 15 children have drowned and 25 others went missing after an overcrowded boat capsized on the Shagari river in Nigeria’s Sokoto state.
The boat was carrying children who were on their way to collect firewood in the bush on Tuesday morning. According to Aliyu Abubakar, the political administrator of Shagari district, the incident happened on the other side of the river.
Eyewitness accounts reveal that the boat was overloaded with over 40 girls onboard, leading to the capsizing of the boat. Although 15 corpses have been recovered, local divers are still searching for the other victims.
Local authorities confirm the incident, prepare for burials
The chairman of Shagari Local Government Area, Aliyu Abubakar, confirmed the incident and expressed deep condolences to the families of the victims. He stated that the bodies of the victims have been recovered and are being prepared for burial.
At the time of filing this report, local divers and authorities have not confirmed any survivors. The boat, which was carrying over 40 girls, resulted in the recovery of only 15 dead bodies with 25 still missing. The divers are currently conducting search and rescue operations to locate the missing girls.