At least five persons were feared dead as a canoe ferrying passengers capsized in Ganta town of Buji Local Government Area of Jigawa State.
The mishap which is the third in the series of canoe accidents in the state during this rainy season claimed the lives of all the five passengers aboard it.
Local sources said the incident happened Tuesday afternoon when the boat reached flooded area around Ganta village, and the heavy water waves overpowered the moving boat and sank into the water.
Confirming the incident, Lawan Shiisu Adam, Jigawa State Police Command’s spokesman said it took the efforts of local divers and the police to discover the missing bodies of the passengers that were later confirmed dead by medical personnel.
Lawan said two female, three male passengers including minors, all from Malamawar Gangara, Birnin kudu LGA boarded the ill-fated boat.
“On a tragic and sad note, today Tuesday, August 27th, 2024 at about 1200hrs, information from the source disclosed that, a canoe carrying five (5) persons while trying to cross the road at Ganta town, Buji LGA where flood affected the road, the cart was capsized and instantly got drawn”.
“On receipt of the pitiful report, a team of policemen in collaboration with a local divers rushed to the scene with a view to rescue them alive”.
“They were rescued by the team and conveyed to Gansta Cottage Hospital, regretfully the medical doctor on duty certified them dead. The corpses were released to relatives for burial”, said Lawan.
WikkiTimes earlier reports two similar incidents that happened in the state where more than ten persons were confirmed dead.
