Dozens feared dead in Nigeria after boat capsizes

Dozens of people have died after a boat capsized in northern Nigeria.

The boat was carrying more than 300 passengers on the Niger River when it overturned on Tuesday evening, said Abdullahi Baba Arah, head of the Niger State Emergency Management Agency (Nsema).

On Thursday, another Nsema official told the BBC that 26 bodies had been recovered so far, but search efforts were still ongoing.

Earlier, local council chairman Abdullahi Muregi was quoted by Nigerian media as saying around 60 bodies had been found.

Mr Arah’s statement said 150 people had been rescued alive and that most of the boat’s passengers were women and children en route to the Muslim festival of Mawlid.

Mr Arah praised the “prompt response” of community volunteers who joined “brave” local divers in attempting to rescue the passengers.

His colleague Ibrahim Husaini said it was not clear exactly how many people were on the boat as there was no register and therefore it was impossible to know how many people were still missing.

Mr Muregi told the BBC on Thursday that 150 remained missing.

The boat had come from a community called Mundi.

Many of the passengers were on their way to Gbajibo village to celebrate Mawlid – a celebration of the birth of the Prophet Mohammed.

Mr Arah’s statement did not say what caused the boat to capsize.

However, boat overturns are common on the Niger River, Africa’s third-longest river, especially during the rainy season when water levels are high.

Some of the boats on the river are rickety and overloaded with passengers. Debris such as branches on the water can also pose a challenge for the boats.

In September last year, at least 24 people died when a boat capsized in the same area. The ship was carrying more than 50 passengers who were on their way to harvest at the farm.

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