The Benue State Emergency Management Agency, Benue-SEMA, has deployed local divers to intensify the search for passengers still missing following a tragic boat accident on the River Katsina-Ala in Buruku Local Government Area of the state.
The Head of Information Unit of Benue-SEMA, Mr. Tema Ager, confirmed the development in a telephone interview with the News Agency of Nigeria, NAN, on Monday in Makurdi.
According to Ager, rescue operations have been challenging due to difficult conditions in the affected section of the river, with submerged motorcycles and other materials obstructing parts of the search area.
He said 125 passengers had so far been rescued, while more than nine people remained missing as rescue efforts continued.
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Ager explained that the figures were still provisional, as authorities were working to reconcile the number of people believed to have been aboard the boat with information gathered from survivors, relatives and community leaders.
Authorities estimate that about 138 people may have been involved in the incident, although the exact passenger count has not yet been established.
The SEMA official said authorities were engaging survivors, relatives of victims and leaders of the affected community and relevant associations to gather information that could assist the ongoing search and rescue operation.
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He added that 38 motorcycles were reportedly transported on the ill-fated boat, with three passengers said to have been associated with each motorcycle.
Ager noted that some of the information currently available was obtained from mourners and other people at the scene, while passengers who boarded the boat from different points along the riverside had yet to be fully identified.
He assured that the search and investigation would continue until authorities establish the status of everyone believed to have been on board.
Meanwhile, the Benue-SEMA official appealed to river users to strictly observe water-safety measures, particularly the use of life jackets.
He said life jackets had previously been provided for passengers but expressed concern that some travellers often ignored the safety precaution and boarded boats without wearing them.
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Ager urged passengers using the Buruku crossing point and other waterways across the state to always wear life jackets and comply with safety instructions to prevent avoidable loss of lives.
The incident occurred on October 3, when a wooden boat carrying passengers and motorcycles reportedly developed difficulties while crossing the River Katsina-Ala at the Buruku crossing point.
Rescue operations remain ongoing as authorities work to account for all passengers believed to have been aboard the boat.
