Boat Carrying Over 70 Mourners Capsizes in Benue, Several Missing

A wooden boat carrying more than 70 mourners and over 30 motorcycles has capsized while crossing the River Katsina-Ala in Buruku Local Government Area of Benue State, leaving several passengers missing.

The incident occurred at about 11am on Saturday at the Buruku river crossing point as the passengers were returning from a burial ceremony on the other side of the river.

The mourners were reportedly from Mbayon in Gboko Local Government Area and had travelled to attend the burial of a relative before boarding the boat for their return journey.

The Chairman of Buruku Local Government Area, Raymond Zege, confirmed the incident, saying the boat was overloaded with more than 70 passengers when its engine developed a fault in the middle of the river.

According to him, the engine failure caused panic among the passengers. The situation worsened when the boat encountered a heavy wave and capsized before another boat sent to rescue them could reach the passengers.

Zege said more than 60 people had so far been rescued, while the exact number of missing passengers remained uncertain.

He said about six people had not been accounted for at the time of his statement, but stressed that search and rescue operations were still ongoing.

An eyewitness also confirmed that the boat was heavily overloaded with passengers and more than 30 motorcycles. The eyewitness said several people had been rescued but the number of those still missing could not immediately be established.

Following the incident, rescue efforts were intensified as local boat operators and other personnel joined the search for passengers who remained unaccounted for.

The Benue State Commissioner for Marine and Blue Economy, Denis Iyaghigba, also confirmed receiving preliminary reports of the boat mishap.

Iyaghigba appealed to families of those who may have been aboard the vessel and members of the public to remain calm while authorities worked to establish the full details of the incident.

He said he had directed boat operators and their union downstream to mobilise and assist with the ongoing search and rescue operation.

The Buruku council chairman also appealed to commuters using the river crossing to comply with maritime safety regulations, particularly the use of life jackets.

He said the local government had provided life jackets for commuters but acknowledged that some passengers had resisted efforts by maritime officials to enforce their use.

The latest incident has renewed concerns over safety standards on inland waterways, particularly the dangers associated with overcrowded boats, poor enforcement of safety regulations and mechanical failures.

As of Saturday afternoon, rescue operations were still ongoing, while authorities had yet to release a final figure for the number of passengers aboard the boat or those still missing.