An early morning boat accident, on Friday, along the Dambo-Ebuchi sections of River Niger, has claimed many lives.

The boat, which belonged to one Musa Dangana, was carrying no fewer than 200 passengers, including market women and farm laborers, en route to the Katcha weekly market, when it capsized.

The boat was said to have thrown all on board into the water during the incident.

Rescue efforts are currently underway, with local divers working to recover the bodies of the victims.

Already, eight bodies have been recovered, while search and rescue operations continue to locate the remaining passengers.

This is coming barely a few months after a similar boat accident occurred on the Muwo Gbajibo River in Mokwa Local Government Area of Niger State on October 1, 2024, killing several people.

Preliminary reports indicate that none of the passengers was wearing life jackets at the time of the accident. This may have contributed to the high number of casualties.

The authorities have yet to release an official statement on the incident.

A probe is however expected to be launched to determine the cause of the accident.