76 People Dead After Ferry Boat In Nigeria Capsizes

A ferryboat of 80 people capsized on Friday in a flooded river near Nigeria’s Anambra state. The majority of the passengers were women and children, almost none of them survived.

Nigerian President Muhammad Buhari stated that 76 out of the 85 people drowned in the water.

A statement from the president

“I pray for the repose of the souls of the deceased and for everyone’s safety, as well as the well-being of the family members of the victims of this tragic accident,” he said in a statement.

Displacement

It happened on Friday in Ogbaru, a city that sits southeast by the Gulf of Guinea. Rain storms and excessive flooding have killed close to 300 people, forcing many to move out of their homes and seek higher ground.

Many of the people affected by the flooding consisted of women and children looking to escape their flooded homes.

The passengers were initially headed to the Nkwo Market which is east of Lagos. However, the engine malfunctioned and the boat uncontrollably hit a bridge.

Imposing safety measures in the future

President Buhari has now ordered his government to start using “safety protocols on these transport ferries to make sure such incidents are avoided in the future.”

Responders arrived at the scene but the rising waters made for a difficult rescue of any sort. The Nigerian Air Force, the Inland Waterways Authority , and the National Emergency Management agency were also called to help out and rescue.

A 60 yr old man lost his whole family, his wife and three children. “My life has fallen apart,” as told to BBC News.

Rebuilding

Nigeria has been having issues with flooding since the beginning of the monsoon season in April. The people of Nigeria believe this is the worst flooding it’s ever seen and could potentially cause concerns for burying those that passed. The land isn’t dry enough to conduct proper burials.

Unfortunately farmland as well has been demolished by the flooding. Experts believe this could cause famine throughout the region.