Six people have been confirmed dead and 15 rescued, while several others remain missing after a canoe carrying about 40 passengers capsized in Ringim Local Government Area of Jigawa State.
The incident occurred on Sunday evening at Malamawar Yandutse village. Most of those on board were reportedly women and children.
An eyewitness told journalists that rescue efforts were still underway as of the time of filing this report, while families had begun identifying recovered bodies for burial.
Confirming the incident, Muhammad Bala Sanusi, Director of Planning at the Jigawa State Emergency Management Agency (SEMA), said emergency responders were working with local residents to search for survivors and account for everyone on board.
He explained that the exact number of those killed or rescued could not yet be confirmed, as the operation was still ongoing. He also said the cause of the accident had not been established.
The Chairman of the Emergency Management Committee, Habibu Dauda, also confirmed the incident and urged residents to remain calm. He appealed to the public to avoid spreading unverified information until the authorities issue an official update.
Rescue operations were still in progress at the time of this report.
More details shortly.
