11 Die As Another Boat Capsizes In Adamawa

In what will come across as a really tragic development, another boat accident in Adamawa State has claimed 11 lives.

This would be the second boat mishap in three days in Adamawa after an accident on Saturday where 10 persons lost their lives.

The latest incident occurred Monday afternoon at Kwatan Mallam Adamu in Gurin village in Fufore Local Government Area where farmers, hurrying to reach home to escape a threatening rainfall, rushed into the ill-fated boat.

According to a witness, Dahiru Gurin, “About 40 passengers crammed into the boat to get home before today’s heavy downpour. Unfortunately, midway, a strong wind and thunderstorm set in, causing the boat to capsize.”

Indicating that quick intervention by divers reduced casualty, Gurin added, “A mother who held up her infant on the surface of the water drowned, but the baby was saved by a diver.”

Another source said divers had so far taken out 11 bodies from the water.

The Executive Secretary of Adamawa State Emergency Management Agency (ADSEMA), Mohamed Suleiman, confirmed the incident but could not be definite about casualty figures.

He insisted late on Monday that rescue efforts were yet to ascertain details on the accident.

DAILY POST reports that after the earlier boat accident on Saturday morning in Rugange, Yola South Local Government Area, the state Deputy Governor, Professor Kaletapwa Farauta had visited the scene Saturday afternoon.

She had promised provision of life jackets while warning boat operators to beware of unfriendly weather and to avoid overloading.