Jigawa govt confirms six dead, 23 survivors in canoe accident
Jigawa State Confirms Recovery Efforts Following Canoe Capsize
The Jigawa State Government has announced the recovery of six bodies and the rescue of 23 passengers following a canoe capsized in the Ringim Local Government Area.
Auwalu Danladi Sankara, the State Commissioner for Special Duties and Humanitarian Affairs, provided details during a visit to the Malamawar Yandutse community, where the incident occurred.
The accident transpired around 1 p.m. on Sunday, as the canoe was carrying an estimated 30 to 40 passengers across the river.
“Search and rescue operations are ongoing to locate the remaining missing passengers,” Sankara stated. He also mentioned that the deceased will be laid to rest according to Islamic rites.
Community member Aminu Kafinta suggested that the tragedy was due to overloading, indicating that the number of passengers exceeded the canoe’s capacity. “We saw them boarding the canoe and warned them that it could not carry all of them,” Kafinta said. “Unfortunately, they did not listen, and the canoe capsized almost immediately.”
Kafinta urged the Jigawa State Government to implement measures to prevent such accidents in the future. He called for the construction of a bridge across the river to improve safety for residents and reduce the likelihood of similar incidents, which he noted occur nearly every year.
