40 persons confirmed dead in Zamfara boat mishap

The Zamfara State government has confirmed the death of 40 people following a boat accident in Gummi Local Council of the state. The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that a boat carrying more than 40 people capsized on Sunday in the Bakin Kasuwa River of the Uban Dawaki community.

The Senior Special Assistant to the Governor on Media and Publicity, Sulaiman Idris, confirmed the incident and said the governor described it as a monumental disaster.

“We received the tragic report of a boat accident in Bakin Kasuwa River in Uban Dawaki ward, Gummi Local Council, resulting in the loss of over 40 lives.

“The governor has directed the State Emergency Management Agency (SEMA) to embark on immediate rescue and recovery of the deceased.

“The governor also directed the agency to take immediate action to assess the extent of the accident and provide urgent assistance,” the statement said.

It added that the governor also directed the Commissioner for Humanitarian and Relief Matters to provide immediate relief materials to the victims and their families.

“Governor Lawal also prays for the souls of the departed victims, grieves with their families, and assures of the state government’s commitment to prevent such occurrences in the future,” Idris said.

A flood disaster recently destroyed over 2,000 houses, several farmlands, and farm produce valued at millions of naira in the same local council.