The death toll from a boat that capsized on Friday amid heavy flooding in the Ogbaru area in Nigeria’s southeastern state of Anambra has risen to 76, the president said on Sunday.
Officials on Saturday said at least 10 people had died and 60 were missing, the fatalities however, has been updated.
In a statement posted on Twitter on Sunday, Nigeria’s President Muhammadu Buhari said that emergency responders had confirmed the higher death toll.
Buhari said rescue operations are ongoing. He added that he had directed the relevant agencies to check safety protocols to prevent future occurrences.
The head of Anambra State Emergency Management Agency said that 15 people had been rescued as of Saturday night.
Anambra is among 29 of Nigeria’s 36 states to have experienced heavy flooding this year. The waters have washed away homes, farmlands and roads and displaced over 500,000 people.
Residents resorted to travelling by boat after major road linking eight communities to the rest of the area was cut off by heavy downpour.
The capsized vessel was locally made and had the capacity to carry more than 100 people.
A resident said the boat’s engine had failed and overpowered by strong waves shortly after it took off.
