By Terdue Atondu, Makurdi
The Benue State Emergency Management Agency (SEMA) has confirmed that four people died in Saturday’s boat mishap on River Katsina-Ala in Buruku Local Government Area of the state.
The agency also disclosed that 125 passengers had been rescued, while at least nine others remained missing as search and rescue operations continued.
The Head of Information Unit, Benue-SEMA, Mr Tema Ager, disclosed this in a telephone interview with FirmNews on Monday in Makurdi.
Ager, however, said the figures remained provisional as authorities were still working to establish the exact number of people aboard the ill-fated boat.
He said preliminary information indicated that about 138 people might have been involved in the incident, adding that authorities were reconciling information from survivors, relatives of victims and community leaders.
According to him, the boat was also carrying 38 motorcycles, with about three passengers reportedly associated with each motorcycle.
Ager said divers and other rescue personnel had been deployed to search for missing passengers and recover motorcycles and other belongings believed to have sunk in the river.
He explained that the rescue operation had been hampered by difficult conditions at the affected section of the river, as well as the presence of submerged motorcycles and other materials.
He disclosed that five motorcycles had so far been recovered, while 33 remained submerged at the location.
The SEMA official said rescue teams were working systematically to locate the missing persons and determine the circumstances surrounding the accident.
He noted that some of the information being used in the ongoing operation was obtained from mourners and other people at the scene, while passengers who joined the boat from different points along the river were yet to be fully accounted for.
Ager said the agency would continue the search and investigation until the status of everyone believed to have been aboard the boat was established.
He also urged residents using waterways across the state to strictly observe safety measures, particularly the use of life jackets.
According to him, life jackets had previously been provided for river transport, but some passengers often failed to use them before boarding boats.
He appealed to passengers at the Buruku crossing point and other waterways to wear life jackets and obey safety instructions to reduce the risk of avoidable deaths.
The mishap reportedly occurred on October 3, when a wooden boat carrying passengers and motorcycles encountered difficulties while crossing River Katsina-Ala at the Buruku crossing point.
Following the incident, local residents, government agencies and divers commenced rescue operations, which were still ongoing as of Monday.
