Benue Boat Mishap: Four Dead, 125 Rescued, Nine Missing

….As 38 motorcycles also plunge into River Katsina-Ala 

From Attah Ede, Makurdi

At least four people have been confirmed dead while 125 others have been rescued following a boat mishap on the River Katsina-Ala in Buruku Local Government Area of Benue State.

The Benue State Emergency Management Agency (BSEMA) confirmed the casualties and ongoing search-and-rescue operation on Monday, saying more than nine people were still unaccounted for.

The Head of Information Unit of BSEMA, Mr Tema Ager, disclosed this during a telephone interview with journalists in Makurdi.

Ager said 125 passengers had so far been rescued, while rescue teams and divers continued efforts to locate those still missing.

He, however, stressed that the casualty figures remained provisional, as the agency was still reconciling information from survivors, relatives, community leaders and others at the scene.

According to him, an estimated 138 people were believed to have been involved in the incident, although the exact number of passengers aboard the boat had yet to be conclusively established.

The BSEMA official said the uncertainty was partly due to the fact that some passengers boarded the boat from different points along the riverbank, making it difficult for authorities to immediately establish a complete passenger manifest.

He said 38 motorcycles were also reportedly being transported on the ill-fated boat, with three passengers said to have been associated with each motorcycle.

Ager disclosed that divers had been deployed to search for missing persons and recover submerged motorcycles and other belongings from the river.

He said the rescue operation had been challenging due to difficult conditions in the affected section of the river, compounded by the presence of submerged motorcycles and other materials.

The BSEMA official said five motorcycles had so far been recovered, while 33 others remained at the affected location as divers continued the recovery operation.

He added that authorities were working with survivors, relatives of victims, community leaders and relevant associations to obtain information that could assist in identifying those involved and determining the fate of the missing persons.

Ager said some of the information available to the agency had been obtained from mourners and other people at the scene, while efforts were continuing to verify the identities of passengers who boarded at different points.

He assured that the search and rescue operation would continue until the status of all persons believed to have been aboard the boat was established.

Ager also urged residents and other river users to take water-safety measures seriously, particularly by wearing life jackets whenever traveling by boat.

He noted that life jackets had previously been provided for river users, but expressed concern that some passengers often ignored the safety precaution and boarded boats without wearing them.

The agency appealed to boat operators and passengers to comply with established safety measures to prevent further loss of lives on the state’s waterways.