No fewer than 57 people, comprising mostly children between 10 and 15 years old, have been confirmed dead after a boat carrying farmers and farm labourers capsized at Gorau in Goronyo Local Council Area of Sokoto State.

The victims were reportedly travelling to their rice farms when the boat overturned shortly after sailing and crossing a waterway. Some of the children were said to have accompanied the farmers and labourers to the farms for rice harvest.

When contacted, the Sokoto State Manager of the National Inland Waterways Authority (NIWA), Abdulkadir Yusuf, put the death toll at 47.

However, a community leader and eyewitness, Usman Yusuf Gorau, said over 80 people were initially believed to have boarded the boat, but “so far, we have recovered about 57 bodies.”

He disclosed that 41 victims had initially been buried before the number of recovered bodies rose to 57, even as local divers and residents were said to have continued search and recovery efforts for possible survivors and those still missing.

Sad at the tragedy, the Sokoto State governorship candidate of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), Manir Dan’iya, said it was devastating and particularly distressing with the reported presence of many children.

Extending his condolences to the families of the deceased, the Gorau community, and the state at large, the ADC candidate urged the state government and relevant emergency agencies to deploy additional rescue personnel, medical teams and equipment to the affected community to support the ongoing search and rescue, and provide medical care to survivors.

He also called for proper identification and documentation of the victims to assist their families during this difficult period.

According to Dan’iya, the tragedy underscored the urgent need to provide safer transportation for farming communities located across waterways, particularly during peak agricultural seasons.

He further called for a comprehensive assessment of local waterways, the provision of safe, properly regulated boats, life jackets, trained boat operators, emergency response equipment, and accessible bridges or alternative crossings, where necessary.