Death toll rises to 60 in Nigeria boat accident, officials say

(Reuters) : At least 60 people have died and dozens were rescued after a boat carrying over 100 passengers capsized in Nigeria’s north-central Niger State, local officials said on Wednesday.

The vessel departed from Tungan Sule in Malale district on Tuesday morning, heading to Dugga for a condolence visit, when it struck a submerged tree stump near Gausawa community in Borgu Local Government Area.

Abdullahi Baba Ara, chair of Borgu Local Government Area, said the casualty figure was rising.

“The death toll of the boat incident has risen to 60,” Baba Ara told Reuters. “Ten people have been found in serious condition and many are still being sought.”

The incident occurred around 11 a.m. (1000 GMT).

Sa’adu Inuwa Muhammad, the district head of Shagumi, told Reuters he was at the scene shortly after the accident.

“I was at the scene yesterday around 12 p.m. until 4 p.m. The boat carried more than 100 people,” Muhammad said. “We were able to recover 31 corpses from the river. The boat was also recovered and removed.”

He added that four victims were buried on Tuesday in accordance with Islamic rites, and that women and children made up the majority of the deceased.

The Niger State Emergency Management Agency said emergency personnel and local divers were searching for the victims. It confirmed 29 deaths so far with 50 rescues, and two missing persons. The agency said the boat was overloaded and collided with a tree stump, causing it to capsize.

Boat accidents are frequent in Nigeria, especially during the rainy season, due to lax safety enforcement, overcrowding, and use of poorly maintained vessels.