By Hadiza Mohammed, Northern Operation
No fewer than 20 people are feared dead after a passenger boat carrying mostly Nigerian travellers capsized in Cameroonian territorial waters while heading to Adamawa State, following reports that the operators ignored repeated warnings against embarking on the night journey due to worsening weather conditions.
The tragedy occurred late Monday when the overloaded vessel, travelling from Garoua in northern Cameroon to Yola, was caught in a violent storm and overturned.
The boat was reportedly carrying more than 50 passengers, alongside iron rods and other building materials bound for Dasin community in Fufore Local Government Area of Adamawa State.
Residents familiar with the route said local people had repeatedly urged the boat operators to postpone the trip until daylight because of the deteriorating weather, but the warnings were allegedly ignored.
“The weather was bad, and people pleaded with them not to leave that night, but they insisted on sailing,” a resident said.
Eyewitnesses said the vessel encountered a powerful storm around midnight, causing it to capsize. Although initial reports indicated that more than 30 passengers might have drowned, local authorities have so far confirmed at least 20 deaths, with fears that the casualty figure could rise as rescue operations continue.
Sources disclosed that the accident occurred about 120 nautical miles along the Nigeria-Cameroon border corridor.
By Tuesday, search teams had recovered the bodies of 18 victims, who were subsequently buried in Wuro Bokki community in Fufore Local Government Area of Adamawa State. Efforts to locate those still missing were continuing.
Divers and emergency responders from both Nigeria and Cameroon remained engaged in rescue and recovery operations, while several survivors were rescued and taken to hospitals in border communities on both sides of the international boundary for medical treatment.
As of the time of filing this report, authorities in Nigeria and Cameroon had yet to issue a comprehensive official statement on the disaster. Investigations into the cause of the fatal boat mishap are expected to commence after the conclusion of ongoing search and recovery efforts.
