Rescue teams have retrieved a fourth body from the Oti River, three days after a canoe carrying funeral mourners capsized near Salnaayili in the Nanumba North Municipality.
The disaster occurred on the evening of Tuesday, July 7, 2026, when the overloaded canoe, transporting seven passengers returning from a funeral, overturned in the river.
Six people drowned, while one survivor managed to escape.
Three bodies were recovered shortly after the incident. The latest recovery, confirmed on Wednesday evening by former Salnaayili Assembly Member Kofi Samuel, brings the death toll to four.
However, two victims, a woman and a baby, remain unaccounted for.
Mr. Samuel confirmed that rescue operations are ongoing, with search teams maintaining a presence on the river in hopes of locating the missing pair.
Authorities have not yet released the identities of the deceased or the survivor. Investigations into the cause of the capsize are expected to continue as the search effort enters its third day.
