Students, Others Feared Dead as Boat Capsizes in Fresh Tragedy

No fewer than six persons, mostly students returning to school, have been confirmed dead following a boat mishap at the Buruku River crossing in Buruku Local Government Area of Benue State.

Several other passengers are still missing after the wooden boat conveying people across the river capsized late on Monday night.

According to Vanguard, sources in the area said the tragedy occurred at about 11:00 pm while the ill-fated boat was en route to the Buruku axis of the river.

The wooden vessel, which was reportedly carrying both passengers and vehicles, was said to have sunk midway through the journey.

An eyewitness blamed the incident on overloading, describing it as avoidable.

“The boat, as you know, is a wooden one, and it was carrying passengers and cars across the river to Buruku when it suddenly sank. There were over 45 people on that boat, including vehicles. It was simply overloaded,” he said.

The eyewitness disclosed that while several passengers were rescued, some victims were still unaccounted for.

“About 35 passengers were rescued alive, six deaths have so far been confirmed, with others still missing. Most of the victims were students returning to schools in Gboko and nearby communities. This is very unfortunate. This tragedy could have been avoided,” he lamented.

The eyewitness further decried what he described as persistent negligence and poor regulation of inland waterways.

“Every year we record this kind of tragedy. Authorities will issue statements assuring that it won’t happen again, but nothing concrete is done to ensure the safety of waterway users,” he added.

Reacting to the incident, the Benue State Commissioner for Marine and Blue Economy, Denis Iyaghigba, said he received the report with “grave concern and deep distress,” describing the mishap as a painful reminder of the dangers associated with unsafe and unregulated inland water transport.

In a statement issued by his Media Aide, Lubem Gena, the commissioner extended condolences to the families of the victims and the Buruku community.

“Preliminary reports indicate that the mishap occurred in the course of routine river transportation,” Iyaghigba said.

Iyaghigba disclosed that the ministry had launched a full-scale investigation to determine the immediate and remote causes of the accident.

“This will include possible violations of safety regulations, operational negligence, or environmental factors,” he noted.

The commissioner said relevant stakeholders had been mobilised to intensify rescue and recovery operations.

“We are committed to accounting for all passengers and conducting a thorough, transparent, and uncompromising investigation, with appropriate sanctions for any individual or operator found culpable,” he stated.

He warned that recklessness and disregard for safety standards would no longer be tolerated, adding that enforcement measures would be strengthened through vessel inspections, operator licensing, passenger safety education and closer monitoring of river transport activities across the state.

Iyaghigba reaffirmed the commitment of the Governor Hyacinth Alia-led administration to protecting lives and property.

“Economic development must never come at the expense of human safety,” he stressed.