Boat Accident: 47 Bodies Recovered in Gorau, Sokoto

By Micheal Chukwuebuka

Forty-seven bodies have so far been recovered after a canoe capsized at Gorau crossing point in Goronyo Local Government Area of Sokoto State.

The victims were reportedly crossing to the other side of the river when the boat capsized throwing the passengers into the water.

Among the survivors were the canoe operator and the village head as the recovered bodies have since been buried according to Islamic rites.

Rescue and recovery operations teams made up of personnel from the National Inland Waterways Authority (NIWA), National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA), Sokoto State Emergency Management Agency (SEMA), security agencies and the Nigerian Red Cross Society have mobilized to the scene.

The teams, supported by local divers, had commenced the search for other missing passengers and their belongings. The SEMA says efforts to to establish the exact number of people who were on board the canoe at the time of the incident have also commenced.