LAGOS, Oct 10 — Nigerian President Muhammadu Buhari said on Sunday 76 people had died when an overloaded boat capsized in southeast Nigeria’s Anambra state.
Some 85 people were on board when the accident happened on Friday, in an area devastated by floods.
“The boat reportedly carrying 85 persons capsized following rising floods in Ogbaru area of the state, with emergency bodies confirming a death toll of 76,” Buhari’s office quoted him as saying.
He directed the emergency services to provide relief to the victims.
“I pray for the repose of the souls of the deceased and for everyone’s safety, as well as the well-being of the family members of the victims of this tragic accident,” he added.
Boat accidents are common in Nigeria because of overloading, speeding, poor maintenance and disregard of traffic rules.
Since the start of the rainy season, many regions of Nigeria have been ravaged by floods.
More than 300 have been killed and at least 100,000 made homeless in the country’s worst incidents since 2012, according to the emergency services.
Thousands of farmlands and crops have also been washed away by floods, sparking fear of food shortage, famine and hunger in a country already struggling with the impacts of the Covid-19 pandemic and the war in Ukraine. — AFP
