Sun Sep 15 15:21:50 UTC 2024: ## Overloaded Boat Sinks in Nigeria, Killing Dozens of Farmers
**Gummi, Nigeria** – At least 40 people are presumed dead after a boat carrying 53 farmers capsized on the Gummi River in Zamfara State, northwestern Nigeria, on Saturday. The vessel was overloaded, according to local officials.
Only 12 passengers were rescued shortly after the accident, said Na’Allah Musa, a political administrator of the flood-hit Gummi district. Authorities are currently searching for the bodies of the remaining passengers, who are presumed to have drowned.
The boat was carrying farmers to their farms across the river, but its capacity was exceeded by the number of passengers on board. The incident occurred amidst heavy flooding in the region, which has displaced over 10,000 people in recent days.
President Bola Tinubu expressed his condolences to the victims and their families, offering government support to those affected by both the boat accident and the floods.
The tragic incident highlights the dangers of poorly regulated waterways in Nigeria, where accidents are common, particularly during the rainy season when rivers and lakes swell. Last month, 30 farmers drowned in a similar incident in Sokoto State, and just days before that, 15 farmers lost their lives in a canoe accident in Jigawa State.
First Piper 