Eight people
including women and children have died after a canoe capsized at Tungar-Gegero
in Jega Local Government Area of Kebbi State in Jega Local Government Area of
Kebbi State.
The Chairman,
Kebbi State Emergency Management Agency (SEMA), Alhaji Sani Dododo, disclosed
this to newsmen in Birnin Kebbi on Tuesday, NAN reports.
“Women and
children about 10 of them were on board with only one operator, a middle aged
man and he was trying to transport the people to a naming ceremony.
“They have
started the journey and crossed to the other bank of the stream successfully,
but on their way back the canoe capsized and all the occupants were drowned in
the water.”
He further
explained that the operator was able to save two women, adding that the
remaining eight including children were all drowned in the water.
According to
him, the agency was able to recover four corpses comprising three adults and a
baby girl, adding that search for the remaining bodies was still on.
“We are
making frantic efforts to recover the remaining corpses, I have spoken to
Sarkin Kafin Jega, who is the District Head of the area as well as the Council
Chairman, Jega Local Government Area.
“In line with
this, professional traditional fishermen have already been mobilised to search
for the remaining bodies.
“They have
started from that Tungar-Gegeru down to Kimba to Jega Bridge to Mungadi because
all these places are in the same terrain of the water.
“Normally, if
there is this kind of capsizing, you cannot find the bodies in the same place a
day after, but such bodies may be recovered far away from the scene of the
accident,” he added.
The chairman
assured that so many hands had been engaged to ensure that towards the corpses
are been found adding that the agency had sought for assistance from the Inland
Waterways in recovering the bodies.
He said that
the agency was also getting in touch with the local government authorities as
well as the head of social mobilisation of the council.
He consoled
the families of the victims urging them to take heart and accept the ugly
incident in good faith while praying that God Almighty will give them the
fortitude to bear the loss.
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