76 feared dead in Anambra boat mishap

At least 76 people were feared dead in a boat accident at Ogbaru local government area of Anambra State on Friday morning.

An eyewitness told journalists on Saturday that the boat carrying 85 passengers including traders and flood victims relocating to upland areas capsized near Onukwu Bridge in Umunankwo at about 9:00 a.m. on Friday.

Only nine persons were rescued from the sinking boat by emergency responders.

Read also:Fatal accident claims two lives, eight injured in Niger highway

The Coordinator of the Anambra State Local Emergency Management Committee, Mr. Nnamdi Esimai, also confirmed the incident to journalists in Awka.

He said the rescue operations are ongoing.

The coordinator also renewed the call for compliance with safety protocols by boat passengers and operators in a bid to prevent a tragedy of this magnitude in the future.

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