Thirty-two persons including women and children,  have been reported dead after a boat conveying 40 passengers capsized in Gummi town, Gummi local government area of Zamfara State.

A resident of Gummi, Safiyanu Dan Iya, told Daily Trust that the incident occurred after an overloaded boat collided with an empty boat on Mashayar Yan Tauri River in the early hours of Saturday, September 14, 2024.

Another resident, Shehu Aminu Gummi,  said only a few passengers were rescued, while the rest went missing in the river.

“After the boat capsized and sank in the river, it took the survivors almost two hours before they appeared on the surface of the water. The boat capsized around 10am and the survivors appeared around 12 mid-day,” he said.

“Although the rescue efforts continued up till 8pm, no additional person among the victims was found dead or alive.”

The Sarkin Fadar Gummi, Alhaji Mahmud S. Fada, confirmed that eight people were rescued.

“Apart from them, we have not seen anybody again. Up till this time that I am speaking with you, no corpse has been discovered from the river,” Fada said.

He said that some rescue teams were sent to other rivers in Gayari, Dugwai and Bandoki villages, but no corpse was found.

He explained that the Sarkin Ruwa of Gummi has ordered that the rescue be put on hold, as according to him, the bodies of the victims could only resurface by Sunday.