Boat mishap claims lives of 2 children in Niger

Two children have been confirmed dead while two others sustained various degrees of injuries in a boat mishap that occurred in Katcha Local Government Area of Niger.

The Overseeing Director-General of the Niger Emergency Management Agency (NSEMA), Alhaji Salihu Garba, disclosed this to the newsmen in Minna on Saturday.

He said the incident occurred on Friday at about 6 p.m. when the boat engine caught fire due to a mechanical failure and inflamed a gallon of gasoline stored inside the boat.

He said that 145 passengers were in the boat, adding that they were from the Danbo community in Kogi.

Garba disclosed that the passengers were on their way back from Katcha Market when the incident occurred.

He said that the body of one of the deceased children had been recovered while the search for that of the second missing child was still ongoing.