A boat carrying 50 traders from the Shiroro hinterland to Kwata Market in Zumba, Shiroro Local Government Area of Niger State, reportedly capsized in the middle of the Zumba River on Saturday afternoon, killing one person and injuring another.
Only seven people have reportedly been seen so far, with one of those being a confirmed death.
Ibrahim Inga, the director general of the Niger State Emergency Management Agency, confirmed the incident but claimed he was still waiting for details regarding the casualties.
On Sunday morning, it was heard that the hunt for the remaining victims was still on.
The Sarkin Ruwa, Kwata-Zumba, Umar Isah told newsmen on the telephone that the engine of the boat conveying the traders including women and children, 4 cattle, dozens of goats, baskets of fish, and farm produce including bags of rice to the Kwata-Zumba Saturday Market went off in the middle of the river and the canoe eventually sunk.
He said one of the passengers lost his life while 6 others were rescued alive, adding that 3 cattle, goats, and other contents of the canoe were lost.
“We could not immediately embark on rescuing the victims because we were afraid of bandits. Around 10 pm on Saturday, we were still searching for the victims. We later rescued seven, but one person lost his life while six others who were rescued unconscious were treated locally and later regained their consciousness.
It was gathered that the bandits’ hideout is just a distance away from where the canoe capsized, the reason the local divers could not go to rescue the victims immediately for fear of attack.