Boat carrying about 22 passengers from Kasabu village in Agwara Local Government Area of Niger State to Yauri, has capsized, the Niger State Emergency Management Agency (NSEMA) report.

Salihu Garba, the Director-General of NSEMA disclosed this to News Agency of Nigeria in Minna on Monday.

He said the mishap occurred on Monday between 11 a.m. and 12 pm, which happened on Yauri market day, adding that only after the market would families be able to declare their missing relatives.

According to Garba, a survivor of the  boat incident said that the boat had about 22 passengers on board.

He added that search and rescue operations were ongoing by the local divers and boat owners under the supervision of the agency’s desk officer in Agwara and no passenger has been recovered yet.

He explained that it takes about 24 hours for any drowned person to surface atop the water.

He attributed the cause of the incident to water hyacinth coupled with strong waves.

NAN