Kwara Boat Accident: Death Toll Hits 106, 144 People Rescued
The Kwara State Police Command has provided an update on the tragic boating accident that occurred in the state.
According to the government, 144 people have been rescued so far from the Monday Boat disaster that claimed numerous lives in the Patigi local government area of Kwara state.
The police also reported 106 fatalities.
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In a statement signed by SP Ajayi Okasanmi, Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO), and released to the press on Wednesday, the Police stated that the boat that capsized between Ebu and Dzakan village in Patigi local government area was carrying approximately 250 passengers, 106 of whom perished.
“Among the casualties were people from Ebu Village with 61 casualties, Dzakan Village with 38 casualties, Kpada Village with 4 deaths, and three (3) additional casualties from Kogi State, bringing the total number of casualties to 106 and the total number of people rescued to approximately 144.”
“According to information received by the Divisional Police Officer of Patigi Divisional Headquarters, a boating accident occurred near the axis of the River Niger.
“Upon receiving the information, the Commissioner of Police of Kwara State, CP Paul Odama psc+, immediately dispatched a team of policemen to join the policemen and other locals already on their way to the exact location of the boat accident to assist in the rescue efforts.
“According to reports, the boat transported approximately 250 people from Gboti Village via Patigi to Ebu Village and Dzakan Village, all within Patigi’s local government area, following a wedding ceremony.
On leaving the shore, a portion of the boat near the engine side collapsed due to water infiltration, resulting in the boat capsize. Approximately 106 people perished as a result of the inability of the boat’s occupants to attract the attention of the villagers hosting the wedding ceremony in order to receive assistance.
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Alhaji Ibrahim Liman, chairman of the Transition Implementation Committee (TIC) of Patigi Local Government area, stated that the accident may have been caused by water that leaked into the boat and that the amount of water that entered the boat affected its movement, causing it to capsize.
Liman stated that everyone who survived the accident swam to the riverbank on their own, adding, “Everyone who survived the accident knew how to swim, and they swam to the riverbank on their own.
The Managing Director of the Hydroelectric Power Producing Areas Development Commission (HYPPADEC), Mallam Abubakar Yelwa, blamed the lack of life jackets worn by the boat’s passengers for the high death toll.
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