At least 15 people drowned and three others remain missing after a boat capsized in Gummi Local Government Area of Zamfara State as villagers fled advancing bandits, local officials and residents said on Saturday.
The accident occurred on Friday when residents of Danmaga, Tungar Maigunya, Nasarawar Kifi, and other villages in Birnin Tudu Ward attempted to cross a river in a single canoe while escaping an attack.
The canoe, built to carry 16 passengers, was overcrowded during multiple trips.
“Only one canoe serves the entire area, and it was already filled. But two more women, fearing they would be left behind, jumped on board. The boat overturned, and many drowned,” eyewitness Malam Bashiru Gago Yan Kifi told local media.
Local volunteers recovered 12 bodies on Friday and three more the following day, raising the confirmed death toll to 15. Authorities said search operations are ongoing for three missing villagers.
The dead included eight women, three infants, and four youths. They were buried in a mass grave following funeral prayers led by Liman Yahaya.
“This is a double tragedy,” said the village head of Nasarawar Kifi, Alhaji Muhammadu Chigari, referring to both the attack and the boat mishap.
The Zamfara State Government confirmed the incident in a statement issued by Commissioner for Information and Culture Mahmud Dantawasa, who expressed condolences to the families of the victims and said immediate steps were being taken to assist the affected communities.