Monday October 10, 2022
Floods across Nigeria this year have affected 29 of 36 states including Kogi (pictured) and Anambra, where a boat capsized after its engine failed. Photograph: Fatai Campbell/AP
The death toll from a boat accident in Nigeria’s
south-eastern state of Anambra has risen to 76, the president has said.
The vessel capsized on Friday amid heavy flooding in the
Ogbaru area of Anambra, according to officials on Saturday, when they said at
least 10 people had died and 60 were missing.
In a statement posted on Twitter on Sunday, Nigeria’s
president, Muhammadu Buhari, said that emergency authorities had confirmed the
higher death toll.
Authorities are working to rescue or recover any missing
passengers, said Buhari, adding that he had directed relevant agencies to check
safety protocols to prevent future accidents.
The head of Anambra’s emergency management agency said that
15 people had been rescued as of Saturday night.
Anambra is among 29 of Nigeria’s 36 states to have
experienced heavy flooding this year. The waters have washed away homes, crops
and roads and affected at least half a million people.
People walk through floodwaters after heavy rainfall in
Hadeja, Nigeria.
A local person, Afam Ogene, told Reuters that because
flooding had destroyed the major road linking eight communities to the rest of
the area, some people had to travel by boat.
Of the vessel that capsized, he said it was locally made and
had the capacity to carry more than 100 people. He added that the boat’s engine
had failed and it was overpowered by waves shortly after it launched.