The death toll from the boat accident at Malale riverfront in Borgu Local Government Area of Niger State has climbed to 60.

The ill-fated boat, carrying about 90 passengers, departed from Tugan Sule in Shagunu ward and was headed to Dugga for a condolence visit when the mishap occurred.

Earlier, the Director General of the Niger State Emergency Management Agency (NSEMA), Abdullahi Baba Arah, confirmed that 29 bodies had been recovered, while 50 people were rescued alive and two others remained missing.

“The incident happened on Tuesday, September 2, 2025, at around 11:30 a.m. It was caused by overloading and a collision with a tree stump,” Arah explained.
“As of the time of our initial report, 29 bodies had been recovered, 50 people rescued, and two were still unaccounted for. Search and rescue operations are ongoing.”

However, the casualty figure has since increased. Abdullahi Baba Ara, chairman of Borgu LGA, told Reuters that the death toll has risen to 60, with at least ten survivors in critical condition.

Sa’adu Inuwa Muhammad, the district head of Shagumu, said he was at the scene shortly after the tragedy.

“I was there from about 12 p.m. until 4 p.m. The boat carried more than 100 people. We were able to recover 31 corpses, and the boat itself was later removed from the river,” Muhammad recounted.

He added that four victims were buried on Tuesday according to Islamic rites, noting that women and children made up the majority of the deceased.

The accident, which occurred around 11 a.m. local time (10:00 GMT), has thrown the community into mourning as rescue teams continue their search for missing passengers.