From: Rose Ejembi, Makurdi
A boat mishap reportedly claimed at least six lives in River Katsina-Ala in Katsina-Ala Local Government Area of Benue State, on Friday.
Sources from the area said the incident occurred when a boat ferrying more than 15 passengers who were mostly mourners across River Katsina-Ala with suddenly capsized. The passengers were without life jackets.
So far, efforts to rescue the victims alive yielded very little result even as six dead bodies were said to have been recovered, while six more persons including women and children, were still missing at the time of filing this report.
The Chairman of Katsina A/la Local Government Area, Mrs. Virginia Kpindi, blamed the accident on overloading, however, commiserated with families of the deceased and prayed God to grant them the fortitude to bear the loss.
But when contacted, the state’s Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO), ASP Moses Yamu, said he was yet to be briefed of the accident.