On the morning of September 2nd, 2025, a river ferry embarked from Tungan Sule in Nigeria’s Niger State, bound for the village of Dugga. Laden with well over one hundred passengers—among them men, women, and children—the vessel proceeded along the Malale River when it struck a submerged tree stump near the Gausawa community. The collision caused the boat to overturn and sink, setting in motion one of the most recent and fatal inland maritime mishaps in the region’s waters.
Emergency crews recovered thirty-one bodies from the river, while approximately fifty individuals were rescued and brought ashore. Several passengers remain unaccounted for, as rescue teams persist in their efforts to locate them.
The local chair of Borgu Local Government, Abdullahi Baba Ara, noted that the death toll had climbed to sixty and that ten survivors were in critical condition.
The ill-fated voyage had been undertaken as part of a condolence visit, with passengers travelling the river to pay respect to a recently deceased villager.
Accidents of this nature are recurrent on Nigeria’s inland waterways, attributed largely to vessel overloading, inadequate maintenance, and insufficient compliance with safety regulations.