Five persons have been rescued alive and nine corpses recovered from the boat accident that occurred on Sunday in Mashayar Yandaga River in Gummi Local Area of Zamfara State.
The agency spokesperson, Manzo Ezekiel stated this in Abuja on Tuesday, adding that after the accident, rescuers, who were mostly local divers and fishermen, were mobilized.
NEMA said the boat involved in the accident was carrying over 40 passengers and crewmen when it capsized due to overload and high river currents.
The Director General NEMA, Mrs. Zubaida Umar has commiserated with the government and people of Zamfara State over the incident, advised boat operators to adhere to safety measures in the conduct of their activities.
Ezekiel said: “They managed to rescue five persons alive. Sadly, nine bodies of the passengers have been recovered so far, while search and rescue operations are continuing”.
He said other passengers comprising of men, women, and children were yet to be accounted for, adding that communities situated downstream along the river channel have been alerted to look out for bodies that may be floating to their location.
As search and rescue operations continue, NEMA said its Sokoto Operation Office, in conjunction with Zamfara State Emergency Agency, Gummi Local Government authorities, community leaders, the Red Cross, and other stakeholders, are involved in the operation and carried out an assessment of the disaster.
