No fewer than 33 persons have been confirmed dead in a boat mishap that occurred in Dere village in Katcha Local Government Area of Niger State. The incident occurred in the early hours of yesterday when a boat conveying about 100 passengers to Lokoja Market from Katcha, capsized.

A report this morning in Daily Sun said the operator of the boat was temporarily blinded by the light of a pipeline patrol team boat at about 4:35a.m, which led to his losing control and hitting a tree.

The report revealed that none of the passengers was wearing a lifejacket, while about four people were rescued by the local divers and five others escaped by swimming to the bank of the river.

The Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO) in Niger State, DSP Abiodun Gambari, confirmed the incident.

•File photo shows rescue workers during a boat mishap.