Emergency officials in Jigawa State have confirmed that thirteen young girls perished when their boat capsized in River Gilbi between Tsuburi Darai and Gilma villages in Jahun local government area of the state.
The death toll is likely to rise as the emergency officials also indicated that 15 of the passengers on the boat were still missing.
The executive secretary of the State Emergency Management Agency (SEMA), Yusuf Sani Babura, told reporters in the state capital, Dutse, that the rescue team was still working at the scene of the accident to search for more dead bodies. Seven bodies were recovered on Wednesday, with an additional five bodies recovered today, making a total of 13 dead.
Mr. Babura disclosed that the young girls, aged between nine and 12 years, were put in two boats on their way from Tsuburi Darai village to cross the river to Gilma village to attend a wedding.
A police spokesman, Abdul Jinjiri, also confirmed that a boat with many young girls on board capsized, adding that the search was ongoing for other dead bodies in the river.
SaharaReporters was unable to ascertain the cause of the tragedy, as state officials and the police stated that an investigation would be carried out.