New Telegraph

Kano confirms 29 dead, 7 missing in boat accident

…Buhari saddened by accident

The Kano State government has confirmed the death of 29 persons from the Tuesday boat accident in Bagwai Local Government Area of the state, this is even as they have set up a Panel of enquiry to look into the immediate and remote causes of the incident under Navy Capt. Abubakar Muhammad. Commissioner for information, Muhammad Garba said the government recovered 29 people while seven others are at a hospital and 14 others missing. The Commissioner hinted that the government has already ordered the supply of relief materials of 120 bag of Rice, Millet, Corn and other items for distribution to families of victims.

This is even as the government also shared N100,000 each to fami-lies of dead persons, amounting to N6 million. The accident, he said involves mainly women and children who were coming from Badau Village to Bagwai town for an Annual Mau-lud celebration, but the boat was overloaded. “It was due to lack of fuel, which dried up in the engine and forced the boat to capsized, leading to the death of 29 people.” Garba said the Kano State have witnessed two boat accident that claimed the lives of women and children, especially the ones that happened during Malam Ibrahim Shekarau’s time in office in 2007 where over 20 women and children died.

“We are going to take appropriate measures to prevent future occurrence and we warn the captains not to be playing with people’s lives, because of their desperations to make huge profit.” He said the panel headed by the State Navy Commandant, Navy Capt. Abubakar Muhammad, has also the former State SSG, Suleiman Bichi and others as members. Meanwhile, President Muhammadu Buhari has expressed his anguish over the tragic boat accident. According to a statement by his spokesman, Malam Garba Shehu, the President in a message to the government and people of Kano State to sympathise with them over the tragic incident, assured the state government of the support of all federal agencies in the state, as rescue operation continues. He said: “As efforts are being made to rescue the passengers still unaccounted for, I join fellow citizens in praying for the repose of those lost, and for safety and well-being of all the others.”

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