On Sunday, eight people were killed in a boat accident in Guasau, the capital of Zamfara State.
Abba Shehu, an eyewitness, told reporters on Monday that the victims included a woman and seven children.
Shehu stated that the victims were on their way to gather water in a river near Gusau when their canoe collapsed.
He stated that the bodies of the deceased had been evacuated, but that rescuers were still looking for additional bodies.
“We have rescued four persons alive and evacuated eight dead bodies.
“We are still searching for more dead bodies because there were over 20 people in the canoe,” Shehu added.
He appealed to the state government to provide water to the state capital, lamenting that, “There has been no water supply to Gusau town in the last one week.”
In a telephone interview with reporters on Monday, the state Commissioner for Water Resources, Ibrahim Isa, said normal water supply had been restored to the town.
He also faulted Shehu’s claim, saying that it is not true that the victims were on their way to fetch water when the accident occurred.
“Those who died in the river as a result of the boat accident did not go there to fetch water.
“They were going somewhere on another mission when the incident happened,” he said.
