Anambra Tragedy: Over 70 People Die In Boat Accident

By Charles Igbo

Anambra State has been thrown into deep mourning following a tragic boat accident Saturday morning.

At least, 76 people out of the, alleged,  85 inside the ill-fated engine boat drowned when it capsized.

The victims were mainly  men, women and children headed to a market – Nkwo market, Ogbakuba, Ogbaru Local Government of the State. An  eye witness said only nine people were rescued.

Even though no official statement has been issued either by the State Government or the Police, speculation is that the boat must have been loaded beyond its capacity. Officials of the  Anambra State Emergency Management Authority, were, however, said to be on ground.

Said an eye witness, according to The Punch: “An  engine boat that loaded about 85 passengers  at Onukwu Bridge Ossomata enroute Nkwo Ogbakuba market capsized this morning. Only nine passengers were rescued. The rest are yet to be seen.

“I wasn’t there when the boat loaded. But the information we got unofficially is that it loaded 85.”

Boat accidents are a regular occurrence in Nigeria due to poor, or none existence of regulatory bodies. Hundreds of people perish each year. Authorities seem not to care.