From Joseph Uchenna, Makurdi
At least 4 persons have died and 125 rescued following a boat mishap on Saturday at River Katsina-Ala in Buruku Local Government area of Benue state.
Officials of Benue Emergency Management Agency, BSEMA confirmed the death and rescue efforts.
Mr Tema Ager, Head of Information Unit, Benue-SEMA, said this in a telephone interview with Journalists on Monday in Makurdi.
Ager said 125 passengers had so far been rescued, while more than nine others remained missing as rescue operations continued at the scene.
He said the figures remained provisional, as authorities are still collating the number of people aboard the boat with information obtained from survivors, relatives and community leaders.
According to him, an estimated 138 people were believed to have been involved in the incident, although the exact number of passengers had yet to be established.
Ager said authorities had engaged survivors, relatives of victims and leaders of the affected community and association to obtain information that could assist the search and rescue operation.
He said 38 motorcycles were also reportedly conveyed on the ill-fated boat, with three passengers said to have been associated with each motorcycle.
The official said divers had been deployed to search for missing persons and recover submerged motorcycles and other belongings from the river.
He said the operation had been challenging because of difficult conditions in the affected section of the river and the presence of submerged motorcycles and other materials.
Ager said five motorcycles had so far been recovered, while 33 others remained at the affected location as the recovery operation continued.
He said the rescue teams were working methodically to locate the missing persons and establish the circumstances surrounding the mishap.
The SEMA official said some of the figures were obtained from mourners and other persons at the scene, while passengers who joined the boat from the riverside were yet to be fully identified.
He said authorities would continue the investigation and search operation until the status of all persons believed to have been aboard the boat was established.
Ager also appealed to river users to observe water-safety measures, particularly the use of life jackets while travelling by boat.
He said life jackets had been provided in the past, but some passengers often ignored the safety precaution and boarded boats without wearing them.
He urged passengers at the Buruku crossing point and other waterways to always wear life jackets and comply with safety instructions to prevent avoidable loss of lives.
It could be that the incident occurred on Oct. 3 when a wooden boat conveying passengers and motorcycles reportedly developed difficulties while crossing River Katsina-Ala at the Buruku crossing point.
Rescue efforts by local residents, government agencies and divers commenced following the incident and were still ongoing as of Monday.
