Oti River canoe disaster: Death toll rises to six

The death toll from the canoe accident at Salnaayili in the Nanumba North Municipality of the Northern Region has risen to six after the last missing passenger was found in the Oti River.

The casualties include four women, a man and a baby.

The incident occurred on the evening of Tuesday, July 7, 2026, when the victims were returning from a funeral and attempted to cross the Oti River in a canoe without life jackets.

The canoe, which was carrying eight passengers along with their luggage, was reportedly overloaded. Midway through the journey, the canoe began leaking, allowing water into the vessel before it eventually capsized.

Six people, including a baby, lost their lives in the incident, with three bodies initially recovered after the canoe capsized. Three others, including the baby, remained missing as rescue teams continued search efforts.

On Wednesday evening, two more bodies were retrieved from the river, while the final missing body was found on Thursday evening, bringing the total number of fatalities to six.

Meanwhile, the Municipal Chief Executive for Nanumba North, Abdul Samed Hamza on Thursday visited the bereaved families to commiserate with them and assured them of government’s support.

He also donated life jackets to canoe operators in the area as part of measures to improve safety and prevent similar incidents in the future.

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