SOKOTO: At least 43 people, mostly children, have died after an overloaded boat capsized in Nigeria’s northwestern Sokoto state, local officials and residents said on Thursday.
The accident occurred near Gorau in the Goronyo local government area while rescue operations were still underway. Abdulkadir Yusuf, an area manager at the National Inland Waterways Authority, said around 40 bodies of children had been recovered from the water.
Nasiru Adamu, a member of the Sokoto state legislature representing the area, put the death toll at 43 and said 16 people had been rescued.
Local residents gave differing accounts of the number of passengers aboard the vessel. One resident said the boat was carrying farm owners and labourers travelling to harvest rice and had more than 70 people onboard. Another estimated that 57 people were on the boat when it capsized.
Mustapha Umar, director of relief and rehabilitation at the Sokoto State Emergency Management Agency, said officials were travelling to the accident site and would provide additional information.
Boat accidents are a recurring problem in Nigeria, where overcrowding, inadequate vessel maintenance and limited enforcement of safety regulations frequently contribute to deadly incidents on rivers and waterways.
In January, at least 25 people were killed when a leaking boat capsized in northeastern Yobe State.
Authorities continue rescue and recovery operations in Sokoto, while officials are expected to provide further details about the circumstances surrounding Thursday’s tragedy.
