No fewer than eight people have been confirmed dead following a boat mishap in the Yola South Local Government Area of Adamawa State.
A boat conveying 23 passengers mishapped early on Friday in Njuwa Lake at Rugange, a village in the Yola South LGA, with the government confirming one death while search and rescue activities continued.
Eight individuals had been rescued, and eight bodies had been discovered, leaving seven people unaccounted for.
Mohamed Suleiman, Executive Secretary of the Adamawa State Emergency Management Agency, ADSEMA, provided the update while accompanying the state Deputy Governor, Prof. Kaletapwa Farauta, on a condolence visit to affected households.
The ADSEMA chief promised that rescue attempts were underway to establish the fate of the passengers who had yet to be found.
The deputy governor stated at the scene of the canoe accident that a directive had been issued for the provision of life jackets for canoe users in order to reduce casualties in the event of future incidents.
She recommended riverine residents, other canoe users, and canoe operators to watch weather conditions, especially the potential for rain and storms, before going on any excursion.
