The National Inland Waterways Authority (NIWA) has rescued more than 100 passengers involved in a boat accident in Niger state, on Tuesday night.
While describing the recent boat mishap as unfortunate amid her ever-increasing efforts to reduce such incidents, the regulatory agency confirmed that the accident involving a wooden boat had about 200 passengers onboard.
The Authority disclosed that the passenger vessel was on a voyage from Gbajibo Mudi to New Gbajibo at about 8:30pm on Tuesday when it capsized.
According to NIWA, preliminary findings show that the incident might be due to the overloading of the passenger boat.
While the Authority maintained that rescue efforts are still ongoing, it said that as of the last count, it has rescued more than 100 passengers from different parts of the channel.
The Authority, however, warns boat operators to desist from flouting safety rules, including the ban on night travel and overloading of boats.
