According to the Associated Press, officials in Niger state, Nigeria, said that on the 29th local time, a ship carrying about 200 people capsized while traveling along the Niger River from Kogi state to Niger state, resulting in at least 27 deaths and over 100 missing persons.
Sandra Musa, spokesperson for the emergency rescue department in Kogi state, said that as of the evening of the 29th, 27 bodies have been salvaged from the Niger River, and no survivors have been found yet. Rescue personnel are still searching for the remaining missing persons. Musa said that the bodies salvaged so far were not wearing life jackets, and the ship may not have been equipped with life jackets.
Officials from Nigeria’s National Emergency Management Agency said that the accident had occurred for several hours, but it was difficult to locate the location where the ship capsized. According to Agence France Presse, the water area near the incident site is as wide as 600 meters.
According to Reuters, the ship involved was mainly carrying merchants from central Kogi state who had planned to go to a weekly market in Niger state.
The Nigerian authorities have not yet confirmed the cause of the sunken ship. The Associated Press reported that due to overloading, lack of maintenance of ships, and other reasons, shipwrecks often occur on the Niger River, and the use of life jackets is not mandatory in the local area.
Title: A Shipwreck Accident in Nigeria Has Resulted in 27 Deaths
Author: Ashaya
URL: https://times.goozon.com/view/45
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