Families of passengers who were declared missing after the boat mishap at the Buruku crossing point of River Benue in Buruku Local Government Area of Benue State have continued to mourn their loved ones, as rescue efforts intensify.

The ill-fated wooden boat was conveying passengers returning from a burial ceremony in Logo LGA across the River Benue when it capsized at about 11am on Saturday.

Nathaniel Apaa, a relative of four victims from Mbayion community in Gboko LGA, said two women and his two younger brothers were among those missing after the incident.

He said that while the two women were recovered immediately, his two younger brothers – Aondover Apaa and Aodoawase Apaa, his immediate sibling – remained missing as of Monday morning.

Apaa, who spoke with our correspondent by telephone, said one of his brothers, Aondover, was however recovered on Monday afternoon, while his other brother, Aodoawase, remained missing.

He said the victims were members of the Ishunu Unit, Branch One, of the Okada Riders Association in Gboko, and had travelled to Logo to attend the burial of a colleague.

According to him, several members of the community, including elderly persons and a pastor, joined the trip to pay their last respects to the deceased before returning by boat.

“This afternoon, the body of one of my two brothers who are missing has been recovered. As we speak, the body is being conveyed for burial.

“My father cannot even talk to me very well because he is very, very sad,” Apaa said.

According to him, the incident involved mainly people from his Mbayion community where he grew up before setting out to Ebonyi State for greener pasture.

“There are 12 people remaining, but some people are talking about 20. Different people are giving different figures. They are talking about 20 people that have lost their life in the accident. But from what I gathered, they recovered about four, and one woman died that day. About twelve are missing, according to them,” he explained.

He also said two women earlier reported missing had also been recovered, but one of them found alive was still searching for her son, who remained among those missing.

Apaa said the tragedy had plunged his community into grief, adding that such an incident had never occurred in the area (Mbayion) before.

He appealed for continued search and recovery efforts, saying families were still waiting for information on their loved ones as uncertainty persisted over the final number of victims.

The boat, which was also conveying motorcycles, reportedly developed engine difficulties while ferrying passengers at the Buruku crossing point before capsizing.

The Benue State Emergency Management Agency (Benue-SEMA) has confirmed the death of four passengers following its on-the-spot assessment of the scene on Sunday.

Terna Ager, Head of Information Unit, Benue-SEMA, confirmed this in a telephone interview with our correspondent in Makurdi.

Ager said 125 passengers have so far been rescued, while more than nine others remained missing as search and rescue operations continued.

He said the figures remained provisional as authorities were still reconciling the number of people aboard the boat with information obtained from survivors, relatives and community leaders.

He said an estimated 138 people were believed to have been involved in the incident, although the exact number of passengers had yet to be established.

Ager said authorities had engaged survivors, relatives of victims, community leaders and relevant officials to obtain information that could assist the search and rescue operation.

He said 38 motorcycles were also reportedly conveyed on the ill-fated boat, with three passengers said to have been associated with each motorcycle.

He added that divers had been deployed to search for missing persons and recover submerged motorcycles and other belongings from the river.

Ager said the operation had been challenging because of difficult conditions in the affected section of the river, as well as the presence of submerged motorcycles and other materials.

He said five motorcycles had so far been recovered, while 33 others remained at the affected location as the recovery operation continued.

The SEMA official said some of the figures were obtained from mourners and other persons at the scene, while passengers who joined the boat from the riverside were yet to be fully identified.

He added that relevant authorities would continue the search and investigation until the status of all persons believed to have been aboard the boat was established.

Ager also appealed to river users to observe water-safety measures, particularly the use of life jackets while travelling by boat.

He said life jackets had been provided in the past, but some passengers often ignored the safety precaution and boarded boats without wearing them.

He urged passengers at the Buruku crossing point and other waterways to always wear life jackets and comply with safety instructions to prevent avoidable loss of lives.

Earlier, the Public Relations Officer of the Tombo Maritime Workers Union of Nigeria (TMWUN), Saai Oryina, told our correspondent in a telephone interview on Sunday that five bodies had been recovered

“We have recovered five dead bodies. We earlier thought that seven people were missing but later found out they were altogether 11. As we speak, efforts are still being made to find the remaining missing persons,” he said. (Daily Trust)