At least 32 people have died in Nigeria's northern Niger state after a boat sank in a river, an official has reported.
The boat was reportedly overloaded, carrying about 100 passengers including women and children, when it capsized after striking a submerged tree stump on the River Niger in the Borgu area on Tuesday morning.
They were on their way to a nearby village to pay their respects to the family of someone who had recently died.
Abdullahi Baba Ara, the spokesman of the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) in the state, confirmed that over 50 other people had been rescued, with eight still missing.
Search operations are ongoing.
Mr. Ara noted that the government has initiated a team of water marshals to monitor overloading of boats and ensure safety measures such as life jackets are enforced.
Perhaps the water marshals were not on duty when this boat took off, he remarked, indicating that investigations are underway.
A local district head revealed that he was present shortly after the accident occurred, witnessing the tragic scene.
Boat accidents are unfortunately common in Nigeria, often attributed to overloading and lack of regulation. In fact, last month, about 25 individuals went missing following a similar incident in Sokoto state, and in December, 54 bodies were recovered from another capsized boat.
Despite the government's efforts to enforce life jacket regulations and launching campaigns like No Life Jacket, No Travel, compliance remains a challenge.
Niger state, being the largest in Nigeria by land mass, sees significant travel via waterways, often considered the quickest and most cost-effective mode of transportation.
