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Kwara boat disaster
On 12 June 2023, a vessel capsized and split in two in the Niger River near Pategi, Kwara State, Nigeria. The boat was carrying attendees of a wedding, who came initially on motorcycles, but were stranded due to heavy rain. At least 108 people have been confirmed dead. Dozens are missing.
On 11 June, a wedding took place in Egboti (alternatively spelled as Egbu) village in Pategi, Kwara State, Nigeria. Most of the attendees were relatives of the newlywed couple from five other villages — Ebu, Gakpan, Kpada, Kuchalu, and Sampi. They celebrated late into the night. They arrived at the wedding on motorcycles, but were forced to return on a local wooden vessel along the Niger River after heavy rain caused the road leading out of the wedding site to become flooded.
According to CNN and Al Jazeera, boat accidents in Nigerian rivers are frequent. Lax safety regulations, lack of life vests, overloading, and poor ship maintenance often lead to fatal boating incidents. Despite nighttime sailing being illegal in the country, the law is rarely enforced. Nigerians often rely on transport by boat as a way of getting around the country's poorly maintained roads, especially during monsoon season. Many also prefer to travel on the ferry to reduce the risk of abductions by armed gangs on country roads.
In 2021, Nigeria experienced two major boating accidents, one in May with a ship that was carrying 160 passengers aboard that ultimately left at least 98 dead, and another in November that resulted in 76 deaths. Boating accidents have been on the rise in the country in recent years.
Approximately 270 people embarked on the boat, well above its capacity of 100 people. Their motorbikes were also loaded onto the boat. It was unclear if all of the passengers were attending the wedding. The Transition Implementation Committee Chairman of Pategi, Alhaji Mohammed Ibrahim Liman stated that people from his village of Ebu were heading to another wedding in Gboti. In the early hours of 12 June, between 3 and 4 am (WAT), high waves swept the boat up and it collided with a tree branch hidden within the waters of the Niger River, splitting the vessel in two. The high volume of the water swept passengers away. All of the victims were relatives of the groom.
Due to the incident occurring in the early hours of the morning, it was hours before many locals had become aware of it. As the passengers drowned, nearby villagers rushed to the river to rescue them; they saved around 50 people at first. By 13 June, 100 people were saved. Rescue efforts were mounted after the incident. Local residents and officials were still participating in the effort as of 13 June. Police chief Okasanmi Ajayi said that a team was deployed to the area to assess what happened and that the search would continue until the night of 14 June. By 15 June, 144 people were rescued.
The cause of the incident is under investigation. Local police reported that a portion of the vessel collapsed, leading to flooding and subsequent capsizing. However, the Emir of Pategi informed journalists that the boat was overtaken by river waves, resulting in a collision with a tree that had been carried into the river, ultimately causing the capsize.
According to local authorities and a police report, the boat accident took place around 3 am. The overloaded boat hit a tree amidst strong waves, causing it to capsize. Due to most of the local passengers not having life jackets, the incident resulted in a high number of casualties. Out of the 270 passengers, 144 individuals survived the tragedy.
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Kwara boat disaster
On 12 June 2023, a vessel capsized and split in two in the Niger River near Pategi, Kwara State, Nigeria. The boat was carrying attendees of a wedding, who came initially on motorcycles, but were stranded due to heavy rain. At least 108 people have been confirmed dead. Dozens are missing.
On 11 June, a wedding took place in Egboti (alternatively spelled as Egbu) village in Pategi, Kwara State, Nigeria. Most of the attendees were relatives of the newlywed couple from five other villages — Ebu, Gakpan, Kpada, Kuchalu, and Sampi. They celebrated late into the night. They arrived at the wedding on motorcycles, but were forced to return on a local wooden vessel along the Niger River after heavy rain caused the road leading out of the wedding site to become flooded.
According to CNN and Al Jazeera, boat accidents in Nigerian rivers are frequent. Lax safety regulations, lack of life vests, overloading, and poor ship maintenance often lead to fatal boating incidents. Despite nighttime sailing being illegal in the country, the law is rarely enforced. Nigerians often rely on transport by boat as a way of getting around the country's poorly maintained roads, especially during monsoon season. Many also prefer to travel on the ferry to reduce the risk of abductions by armed gangs on country roads.
In 2021, Nigeria experienced two major boating accidents, one in May with a ship that was carrying 160 passengers aboard that ultimately left at least 98 dead, and another in November that resulted in 76 deaths. Boating accidents have been on the rise in the country in recent years.
Approximately 270 people embarked on the boat, well above its capacity of 100 people. Their motorbikes were also loaded onto the boat. It was unclear if all of the passengers were attending the wedding. The Transition Implementation Committee Chairman of Pategi, Alhaji Mohammed Ibrahim Liman stated that people from his village of Ebu were heading to another wedding in Gboti. In the early hours of 12 June, between 3 and 4 am (WAT), high waves swept the boat up and it collided with a tree branch hidden within the waters of the Niger River, splitting the vessel in two. The high volume of the water swept passengers away. All of the victims were relatives of the groom.
Due to the incident occurring in the early hours of the morning, it was hours before many locals had become aware of it. As the passengers drowned, nearby villagers rushed to the river to rescue them; they saved around 50 people at first. By 13 June, 100 people were saved. Rescue efforts were mounted after the incident. Local residents and officials were still participating in the effort as of 13 June. Police chief Okasanmi Ajayi said that a team was deployed to the area to assess what happened and that the search would continue until the night of 14 June. By 15 June, 144 people were rescued.
The cause of the incident is under investigation. Local police reported that a portion of the vessel collapsed, leading to flooding and subsequent capsizing. However, the Emir of Pategi informed journalists that the boat was overtaken by river waves, resulting in a collision with a tree that had been carried into the river, ultimately causing the capsize.
According to local authorities and a police report, the boat accident took place around 3 am. The overloaded boat hit a tree amidst strong waves, causing it to capsize. Due to most of the local passengers not having life jackets, the incident resulted in a high number of casualties. Out of the 270 passengers, 144 individuals survived the tragedy.