40 Feared Dead as Overloaded Boat Carrying Farmers and Children Capsizes in Sokoto
At least 40 people are feared dead after an overloaded wooden canoe carrying farmers and farm labourers capsized in Gorau town, Goronyo Local Government Area of Sokoto State, with many of the victims reportedly children aged between 10 and 15 years who had been brought along to assist with the rice harvest. The tragic incident occurred on Thursday morning, August 20, 2026, while the passengers were crossing a stream to access their rice farms on the opposite bank. An eyewitness reported that more than 70 people were aboard the vessel when it capsized shortly after departure, giving those on board little time to react.
A significant number of those on board were children aged between 10 and 15 years who had been brought along to assist with the rice harvest. The victims included both farm owners and hired labourers who had gathered to collect rice from farms across the waterway. Local journalist Sharhabilu Yahuza Kiliya, who was present at the scene, confirmed the devastating toll: “So far, we have recovered about 40 bodies, while six people, including the village head, were rescued.” The village head of the community was among those on board but survived the accident.
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Abdulkadir Yusuf, an area manager of the National Inland Waterways Authority, confirmed to Reuters that around 40 corpses of children had been recovered. “I can confirm that so far around 40 corpses of children have been recovered,” he said in a statement. Rescue operations are still ongoing, with local divers searching the waterway for those still missing and recovering bodies. “The canoe capsized shortly after take-off. Rescue operations are still ongoing, with local divers searching for those still missing and recovering bodies,” Kiliya added. Local resident Nasiru Gorau confirmed that “our local divers recovered the bodies and the search is still ongoing.” The final death toll has not yet been confirmed as search efforts continue. The National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) and Sokoto State Emergency Management Agency (SEMA) have mobilised response teams to the scene to assess the situation and coordinate rescue efforts.