KANO: At least 24 farmers died and dozens of others were missing after a boat capsized in north-central Nigeria on Sunday, according to emergency officials.
The boat was ferrying more than 100 farmers to their crop fields on the other side of the Niger River in Niger state’s Mokwa district when it overturned, Garba Salihu, head of the Niger State Emergency Management Agency (SEMA) said in a statement.
“So far, 24 corpses have been recovered while over 30 have been rescued, as the operation is ongoing,” Salihu said.
“Over 100 persons were said to be on board the boat when the incident occurred.”
The statement did not indicate the cause of the accident.
SEMA officials working with local divers were conducting search and rescue operations for the missing passengers, Salihu said.
On Friday, 10 people drowned and three remained missing when a boat carrying 23 passengers overturned in Njuwa Lake in northeastern Adamawa state, an emergency official told AFP.
The passengers, who were traders from Rugange village, were heading to a market in the state capital Yola, according to Mohammed Amin Suleiman, head of Adamawa emergency management agency.
Boat accidents are common on Nigerian poorly regulated waterways due to overcrowding and lack of maintenance, particularly in the annual rainy season when river and lakes swell and flood.
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