At Least 10 Passengers Dead, Over 40 Missing After Boat Capsizes on River Voyage to Busy Food Market: Reports

At least 10 people have died and more than 40 remain missing after a boat accident in Sokoto State, Nigeria, officials confirmed.

The National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) announced in a post on X that the incident happened on Sunday, Aug. 17, when a boat carrying over 50 passengers to the busy Goronyo Market capsized mid-journey.

NEMA’s Director General, Mrs. Zubaida Umar, alongside the Sokoto Operations Office (SOO), immediately launched a rescue mission following the disaster.

“The Agency reassures the public of its commitment to saving lives, providing timely updates, and coordinating all necessary support for the affected families,” NEMA said in its statement.

The exact number of casualties has not yet been confirmed. Both NEMA and the Sokoto State Emergency Management Agency (SEMA) have mobilized response teams to support ongoing rescue efforts, according to The Sun.

In its own update on X, SEMA reported that more than 40 passengers are still unaccounted for.

“To date, 10 individuals have been confirmed deceased, while 6 have been rescued alive. Search and rescue operations are ongoing to locate the remaining passengers,” the agency said Sunday, per The Punch.

Several local authorities and emergency responders are also assisting in the operation, Reuters and The Guardian reported.

“This is indeed a great tragedy for our community,” one resident told The Sun, describing the atmosphere in Kojiyo as tense and sorrowful.

Special Adviser of SEMA, Hon. Aminu Liman Boding, expressed condolences to the victims’ families in a statement to The Punch.

“The Sokoto State Government, in collaboration with relevant agencies, has deployed response teams to enhance ongoing search operations,” Boding said. “We urge community members to adhere strictly to safety regulations and avoid overloading boats.”

The tragedy comes less than a month after another deadly accident in Niger State, where a boat carrying about 100 passengers capsized, killing 13 people and leaving many others missing, Reuters reported.