The community of Gunmi in Zamfara State is in mourning following a tragic boat accident that claimed the lives of at least 40 people early on Saturday, September 14, 2024. Musa Ahmed, a local resident, reported that the victims were on their way to their farms when their boat capsized and sank in the river.
Ahmed shared that there were 53 people, including farmers and children, on the boat. Sadly, only 12 individuals, including the boat’s captain, were rescued alive, while the remaining 41 were confirmed dead.
“I was near the river when the boat overturned this morning,” Ahmed explained. “Despite our efforts to rescue everyone, we could only save 12 people. The bodies of the other 41 were later recovered from the water.”
Sole Administrator of Gummi Local Government Area, Na’Allah Musa, noted that the boat was overloaded. The captain had requested that some passengers disembark to reduce weight, but no one complied. Consequently, as the boat continued with its full load, it capsized.
Musa further reported that only four passengers managed to swim to safety, while the rest were either rescued or recovered by rescue teams. The exact number of casualties is still uncertain as search efforts continue for additional missing passengers.
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