What began as a routine journey to the bustling Saturday market in Zumba turned tragic on Saturday afternoon, as a wooden passenger boat capsized in River Shiroro, Niger State, leaving several feared dead.
The boat, which took off from Guni—a riverine community in Munya Local Government Area—was carrying dozens of passengers and goods when disaster struck around 2:30 p.m. Eyewitnesses say the vessel collided with a submerged tree and split in two, plunging its occupants into the river’s depths.
The victims, mostly women and children, were on their way to trade and shop at the Zumba market when the incident occurred.
“Everything happened so fast. People were screaming. The boat just broke apart,” said a trader who witnessed the scene from the riverbank near Zumba.
As at press time, the exact number of casualties was still unknown, but local divers and marine police teams had arrived at the site, combing the waters for survivors and retrieving bodies.
Emergency responders are yet to confirm the total number on board or the exact death toll, but community members fear the worst.
Authorities are expected to launch an investigation into the incident, which adds to the rising concerns over safety on Nigeria’s inland waterways.