A boat accident in Gummi town, the seat of the Gummi Local Government Area in Zamfara State, is said to have killed 41 people.
Abubakar Muhammad, an indigene of the community, said that the deceased were on their way to their fields when the boat sank early Saturday morning.
Mohammed stated that there were 53 farmers on the boat, with just 12 retrieved alive, including the captain, and the rest 41 dead.
He stated, “When the boat capsized today, Saturday morning, I was among those present near the river in Gummi town.
“Immediately, the boat capsized. It sunk into the river with all the passengers.
“We did our best to rescue them, but unfortunately, we were only able to bring out 12 persons alive, including the captain of the boat.
“The bodies of the other 41 passengers were evacuated out of the water.”
Alhaji Na’Allah Musa, Sole Administrator of Gummi Local Government Area, stated that the boat was overcrowded.
According to him, the captain of the boat informed the passengers that some of them must go down, but they all refused to listen.
He stated, “There were many people on the boat, and the captain did everything he could to reduce the number, but no one wanted to be left behind.”
“When he did all he could to reduce the number but failed, he was left with no option but to start going.
“As he moved forward, the boat capsized and sunk into the river due to overloading.
“Only four of the passengers were able to swim out of the river, while the rescue operators were able to save others.
“There were many casualties, but actually I can’t say exactly how many of them have died because we are still looking for other missing passengers.”
The Emir of Gummi, Justice Lawal Hassan (rtd), expressed condolences on the Gummi Emirate Facebook page to the families of all those who died in the event.
He called the situation as terrible and asked Allah to forgive all those who died and grant their families the strength to suffer the loss.
He said, “This boat mishap which occured today September 14, 2024 is really tragic and sad”.
“I wish to console with those who have lost their loved ones in the in the incident”.
“I pray to Allah to forgive all those who have lost their lives and give their families the fortitude to bear the irreparable loss”.
