16 dead, dozens missing after tragic boat capsize in Nigeria

At least 16 people have died and scores are missing after a boat carrying hundreds of passengers capsized in northern Nigeria, officials said on Wednesday.

The passengers, mostly women and children, were on their way to celebrate the Muslim festival of Mawlid when the accident occurred on Tuesday, said Abdullahi Baba Arah, head of Niger State’s emergency agency.

He said the boat was carrying nearly 300 people on a stretch of the Niger River in Gbajibo township, near Mokwa, when it ran into difficulties around 8:30 p.m. (1930 GMT).

He did not provide details about the cause of the accident, but said “brave local divers” and volunteers helped find around 150 survivors.

So far, 16 bodies have been found, agency spokesman Ibrahim Audu Husseini told AFP – “two women and 14 men”.

“We expect to continue to recover,” he said late Wednesday as the search for missing passengers continued.

Boating accidents are common on Nigeria’s poorly regulated waterways, particularly during the rainy season when rivers and lakes swell.

Last month, an overloaded boat sank while transporting more than 50 farmers across the Gummi River in Zamfara State. It is believed that over 40 people died.