Tears As Pregnant Woman, Her Son, 7 Others Die In Boat Mishap

A pregnant woman, Ramatu Mamman, her two-year-old son, Saminu and seven other persons died in a boat mishap in Niger on Monday, the Director General of the State Emergency Management Agency, Ahmed Inga, has disclosed.

The deceased were said to have boarded the boat from Shata Sabo in Shiroro area when it capsized midway into their journey to Shata Soho in Bosso area of the state.

Among the victims were a mechanic, one John Moses and two of his apprentices, Khalifa Danladi, 14 and Ubale Usman, 16; one Malam Muhammad Safir of Fulani extraction; one Malam Salihu Aliyu, and a 72-year-old man simply referred to as Makadi.

Inga said two of the passengers including the boat’s driver whose identity could not be ascertained, survived the accident, but that the driver was in a critical condition.

He attributed the cause of the incident to flood wave. “They were already on the water when flood wave hit the boat forcing it to capsize”, he noted.

He said local divers were mobilized to the scene shortly after the accident, but only the remains of Ramatu was recovered with her son strapped to her back.

He said divers were still searching for the reaming passengers.

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