One person has been confirmed dead and eight others are missing after a boat carrying mourners capsized on the Buruku River in Buruku Local Government Area of Benue State.
The incident occurred around 11am on Saturday as the mourners, who had attended a burial ceremony in neighbouring Gboko Local Government Area, were returning.
The wooden boat was reportedly carrying several motorcycles when its engine developed a fault close to the shore, causing it to begin sinking before eventually capsizing.
The Information Officer of the Benue State Emergency Management Agency (SEMA), Tema Ager, confirmed the incident, saying one person had been confirmed dead, eight were missing and three others were receiving treatment in hospital, while the remaining passengers were rescued.
The Chairman of Buruku LGA, Raymond Zege, also confirmed the boat mishap, saying the victims were mourners returning from a burial ceremony.
According to Zege, the situation became difficult after the boat’s engine failed and the occupants, including the driver, struggled to keep it afloat.
He attributed the incident to overloading and the weight of the wooden boat, saying some of those aboard panicked while trying to avoid the water waves and reach another boat that had come to their rescue.
The chairman said authorities had provided life jackets for commuters, with the expectation that everyone using the boat would wear one, but added that enforcement had been difficult because some passengers often complained of discomfort or other reasons for not wearing them.
Meanwhile, the Commissioner for Marine and Blue Economy, Denis Iyaghigba, said preliminary reports indicated that a strong water current swept the boat into an abandoned barge at a corner of the river, causing it to tumble.
Iyaghigba urged families of those who may have been aboard the boat to remain calm and await verified information from the appropriate authorities.
He said he had directed boat operators and their union downstream to mobilise and support the ongoing search-and-rescue operation.
However, an SEMA official, who spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorised to speak officially, said an eyewitness account suggested that about 200 passengers were aboard the ill-fated boat.
The official said one of the survivors, an okada rider, reported that the boat was newly constructed and had been test-run a day earlier.
According to the account, 32 motorcycles and their riders were on board, with each motorcycle reportedly carrying three additional passengers. Other mourners waiting at the waterside also joined the boat, bringing the estimated number of passengers to about 200.
Authorities are continuing search-and-rescue efforts as investigations into the cause of the accident continue.