The United Arab Emirates Government has sympathised with the Federal Government of Nigeria over the death of boat passengers in Niger State.

The UAE Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MoFA) said this in a condolence message in Abuja on Friday.

According to the statement, the UAE expressed its solidarity with the Federal Republic of Nigeria after a boat capsized in a river in north-central Nigeria, which resulted in dozens of deaths, injuries and missing people.

It stated, “The MoFA expressed its sincere condolences and sympathy to the families of the victims, and to the Federal Government and its people over this tragedy, as well as wishes the injured for quick recovery.’’

The National Emergency Management Agency in a statement said that the boat accident occurred on September 2 in Gausawa community in the Borgu Local Government Area of Niger State.

The agency stated that witnesses at the scene of the incident stated that about 90 persons were on the ill-fated boat.

NEMA stated, “So far, 58 passengers have been rescued, while over 30 lives have been lost as one additional body was recovered this afternoon. Several other passengers remain unaccounted for, with search and rescue efforts still ongoing. Initial investigations indicate that the mishap was caused by overloading of the vessel, compounded by a collision with a tree stump along the water channel.”

The Director-General of NEMA, Zubaida Umar, directed the Minna Operations Office of the agency to intensify efforts in the ongoing rescue. 

(NAN)