Boat capsizes in flooded Nigerian river; 76 people die
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Nigeria: Around 76 people died in Nigeria after a boat overturned on a flooded Niger river on Friday. The accident, in which the boat was carrying about 85 people and was overloaded, happened in Nigeria's Anambra state, Agence France-Presse reported.
Informing the incident on Sunday, Nigerian President Muhammadu Buhari said that he prays for the souls of the victims as well as their family members for their well-being and safety. He initiated emergency services for relief.
On Sunday, emergency services informed that flooding waters are hindering rescue attempts. National Emergency Management Agency personnel told AFP that rising waters make search and rescue risky.
He further said that the flooding happening now in the country is the worst in many years. The water level has reached one-tenth higher than a decade ago. The agency had sought Nigerian Air Force helicopters for the rescue drive.
Meanwhile, Anambra state governor Charles Soludo asked people in the flood-affected regions to evacuate. He promised that the state government would provide relief to those affected by the floods.
He conveyed his sympathies to the affected families and said that the disaster happened as a shock to the government as well as the people of the Anambra State.
In Nigeria, boat accidents are regular due to overloading, speeding, poor maintenance and violation of navigation rules. After the rains started, many areas in the West African nation, resided by more than 200 million people, were harmed by floods. When more than 300 people died, 100,000 went homeless, emergency services have reported.
The heavy, relentless rains have destroyed farmlands and washed away crops, causing fears of food shortage and famine. Particularly, the country is struggling under the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic and the Ukraine conflict.