Nigeria: boat sinking in Anambra state kills nearly 80
Floods in Nigeria have cut roads, forcing many residents to use boats to reach certain localities.
(illustrative image) AP - Fatai Campbell
Text by: RFI Follow
2 mins
Deaths and many missing after the sinking of a boat in southeastern Nigeria.
According to a press release from the Nigerian presidency published this Sunday evening on Twitter, "rescue teams have confirmed that they have found 76 bodies" at the scene of the tragedy, which took place in Anambra State, one of the regions affected by the floods in Nigeria.
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According to the Nigerian press, 85 people had boarded the motor boat which capsized on Saturday morning in Umunnankwo, a locality located on the banks of the Niger River.
According to testimonies relayed by the media, the women of the community would have insisted on boarding this boat, in the hope of being able to sell their products on the Ogbakuba market, a few kilometers away.
Impossible to get there by road, engulfed by the waters of the Niger River in flood after weeks of torrential rains.
Fields, farms and many homes were completely submerged in this area, recalls
our correspondent in Lagos,
Liza Fabbian
.
Only a few minutes after the start of this expedition, the driver reportedly lost control of his boat.
Carried by the current, the boat apparently crashed against a bridge, which was half covered by water.
"
Between Ogbakouba and Umunnankwo, the road was cut in two by the floods
," said local Anambra State Information Minister Paul Nwosu.
So no vehicle from Ogbakuba could reach Umunnankwo.
So these people took a boat.
But on the way, the engine broke down.
It was not the owner of this boat who was at the helm.
The passengers failed to row the boat back to safety.
There was a movement of panic, and they tried to see how to direct the boat to a place where they could be helped.
But the boat got stuck under a bridge that was covered by water.
And that's when the tragedy happened.
Nigerian President Muhammadu Buhari and many local elected officials have expressed their sadness and sent their condolences to the families of the victims after this tragedy, which affects communities already badly affected by the floods.
STATE HOUSE PRESS RELEASE
PRESIDENT BUHARI EXPRESSES GRIEF OVER ANAMBRA BOAT ACCIDENT
President @MBuhari on Sunday expressed sadness over the boat accident in Anambra state, in which dozens of people were killed.
— Presidency Nigeria (@NGRPresident) October 9, 2022
These threaten food security and have already killed at least 300 people and displaced 100,000 in Nigeria since the start of the rainy season.
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