Boat mishaps: NEMA blames ageing wood, overloading

The National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) has identified ageing woody boats, overloading and submerged trees arsenic large factors liable for predominant vessel accidents and capsizing incidents connected Nigerian waterways.

There person been increasing concerns implicit the predominant occurrence of vessel mishaps crossed Nigerian waterways.

The Director of Disaster Risk Reduction astatine NEMA, Dr Ishaya Isah Chonoko, disclosed this connected Friday successful an interrogation with DCL, explaining that galore locally utilized woody boats stay successful cognition for extended periods contempt prolonged vulnerability to h2o and sunlight.

According to him, prolonged vulnerability to the elements causes woody boats to deteriorate and yet go weak, expanding the hazard of breaking isolated and capsizing portion connected the water.

“In astir cases, the section boats we usage are made oregon constructed with wood and enactment for a precise agelong clip plying the waterways. Wood exposed to h2o and prima yet gets rotten,” Chonoko said.

He explained that NEMA’s rescue assessments astatine assorted vessel mishap scenes had shown that immoderate incidents occurred aft aged boats broke isolated portion carrying passengers connected the waterways.

“Most of the rescue assessments we person carried retired successful the past were arsenic a effect of utilizing boats that are aged. In astir cases, portion connected the water, the vessel breaks and capsizes,” helium said.

Chonoko besides i...