UPDATE- Nigerian authorities confirm 154 dead after boat mishap

UPDATES DEATH TOLL, ADDS PRESIDENT'S REMARKS, CHANGES HEADLINE, DECK

By Ibrahim Garba Shuaibu

KANO, Nigeria (AA) – A total of 154 persons were confirmed dead following Wednesday’s boat mishap in Kebbi State of Northwest Nigeria, authorities said on Thursday.

The incident occurred in Ngaski Local Government Area of Kebbi State on Wednesday .

Ngaski local government chairman, Abdullahi Buhari Warra, said five people, including two women and a girl, have been buried.

He said those in the boat included gold miners, traders and some Nigerien nationals, adding more bodies were expected to be recovered today.

“There are many people in the river who are yet to be rescued…there is no hope of getting them alive,” he told Anadolu Agency.

“In fact, many people have died and nobody can precisely know their number,” Warra said, adding only 22 people could be rescued so far who have been rushed to the Warra General Hospital.

Describing the accident as devastating, President Muhammadu Buhari, in a statement issued by his spokesman, offered condolences to the families of those killed.

Yusuf Birma, area manager of government agency the National Inland Waterways Authority (NIWA), earlier told reporters: “The boat was carrying 180 passengers with 30 Bajaj motorcycles. The victims were going to a market in Malele in the Borgu local government area of Niger state from Kebbi, and the incident happened just one hour into their trip,” said Birma.

“The mishap occurred as a result of overloading. The boat’s capacity is not up to the 180 passengers it carried. As we speak, over 156 people are still missing and they are believed to be underwater,” he told reporters.

Birma noted that the wooden boat was old and weak.