More than 100 people have died in north-central Nigeria after a boat carrying families returning from a wedding sank in a river, police and local authorities said on Tuesday. The river boat was ferrying its passengers to Kwara State from Niger State (west) when the accident happened, local police and the state governor’s office said, which did not say. clarified the causes of the sinking.
“So far we have counted 103 dead. More than 100 people were rescued,” Kwara state police spokesman Okasanmi Ajayi told Agence France-Presse. “The research is still ongoing, which means the toll may still climb,” he added.
The victims were back in Patigi district, Kwara state, after performing a wedding in Niger state, according to the Kwara state governor’s office. Shipwrecks on Nigeria’s rivers and rivers are common. They are generally due to overloaded boats, their poor maintenance, or non-compliance with safety rules.