Several people are missing after an overloaded wooden boat capsized on Saturday, October 3, 2026, while navigating the River Katsina-Ala in the Buruku Local Government Area of Benue State.
The boat, which was carrying over 70 mourners and more than 30 motorcycles, overturned around 11:00 a.m. near the Buruku river crossing. The passengers, predominantly residents of Mbayon in Gboko Local Government Area of Benue State, were returning from the funeral of a relative across the river.
Local search and rescue personnel pulled several survivors from the water, with operations continuing into Saturday afternoon to locate those still unaccounted for.
An eyewitness reported that the boat was heavily overloaded with passengers and motorcycles prior to the incident, alleging that the engine failed mid-transit before the vessel capsized.
According to the eyewitness, “The boat was overloaded with many people and over 30 motorcycles, and they were coming from the Logo LGA side of the River at about 11am when the incident happened.
“Many persons have been rescued, but as we speak, I cannot tell you the actual number of persons that have not been seen or rescued from the river because the search is still ongoing. But many persons have not been seen as we speak.”
Buruku Local Government Area Chairman Raymond Zege confirmed the incident, stating that the passengers were mourners from Gboko returning from a burial across the river.
According to Zege, the vessel was carrying over 70 individuals when the engine failed mid-voyage, triggering panic among those on board.
Additionally, the council chairman noted that while more than 60 passengers have been rescued, authorities are still working to determine the precise number of missing persons.
Backstory…
Recall that four female passengers died and four others were rescued when a boat carrying eight people capsized on Wednesday, September 23, 2026, in Duduru Pond, near Quagi village in Jigawa State.
Officers from the Nigeria Security and Civil Defense Corps (NSCDC) attributed the incident to strong winds that overturned the vessel.
The disaster followed a separate maritime incident on August 20, 2026, in the Goronyo area of Sokoto State, where an overloaded boat capsized, killing at least 52 people, predominantly farm workers and children.
Read Also: 40 Feared Dead as Boat Carrying Over 70 Passengers Capsizes in Sokoto, Children Among Victims
