Kwara boat mishap death toll hits 106

The death toll in the Kwara State boat mishap has hit 106.

A boat carrying over 200 people capsized on the River Niger in the Patigi local area of Kwara State in the early hours of Tuesday.

The victims were returning to Egbu village in the Patigi LGA after attending a wedding ceremony in Egboti, a community in Niger State, when the incident occurred.

The spokesman for the state police command, Ajayi Okasanmi, who confirmed the development in a statement on Wednesday in Ilorin, said 144 people had been rescued by emergency responders.

He said: “Among the casualties were people from Ebu Village with 61 casualties, Dzakan Village with 38, Kpada Village with four dead, and three other casualties from Kogi State, putting the total number of casualties at 106 and the total number of rescued people at about 144.

READ ALSO: 100 wedding guests feared dead in Kwara boat mishap

“Information was received by the Divisional Police Officer of Patigi Divisional Headquarters to the effect that a boat accident occurred around the River Niger axis.

“The Commissioner of Police Kwara State, CP Paul Odama, immediately after receiving the information dispatched a team of policemen to join the policemen and other locals already on their way to locate the exact spot the boat accident happened to join in the rescue efforts.

“The boat was said to have conveyed about 250 people from a village called Gboti via Patigi after a wedding ceremony to Ebu Village and Dzakan Village, all within Patigi local government area.”

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