No fewer than 13 people have died and more than 20 others deemed missing after a boat carrying fleeing villagers capsized in a river in Zamfara State, northwestern Nigeria.
Residents and officials who reported the tragic incident on Saturday, said it happened on Friday.
Also, Reuters reported that the incident occurred after armed men launched an attack on communities in Birnin Magaji ward on Friday, forcing panic – stricken villagers to flee for safety but while crossing a nearby river, the boat conveying them capsized.
Some of the villagers said the boat was heavily overcrowded, causing it to lose balance before it capsized.
“My eldest son and two nieces were among the 13 people who died,” Shehu Mohammed, a health worker in Birnin Magaji, told Reuters.
“People were panicking and rushed onto the boat. It simply couldn’t hold everyone,” Mohammed added.
According to report, Maidamma Dankilo, the district head of Birnin Magaji, confirmed the toll, saying, “13 people have been confirmed dead, 22 were rescued, and 22 others are still missing.”
