At least 76 people have been killed in a boating accident in Nigeria. President Muhammadu Buhari announced this on Sunday, international news agencies report. The accident happened Friday in the flood-ravaged southeastern state of Anambra.
According to an eyewitness, the boat with a total of 85 passengers on board capsized after the engine failed shortly after sailing. Emergency services are still searching for missing persons and recovering bodies.
President Buhari expressed his condolences to the victims: “I pray for the peace of the souls of the deceased and for everyone’s safety, as well as the well-being of the families of the victims of this tragic accident.”
Because a major road in the region has been destroyed by flooding, residents are forced to travel by boat.
This year, during the rainy season, as many as 29 of Nigeria’s 36 states have flooded areas. More than 300 people have been killed and at least 100,000 people have been left homeless, according to emergency services.