More than 100 folks drown after overloaded Nigeria boat capsizes
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boat carrying residents getting back from a marriage capsized in northern Nigeria, killing greater than 100 people, police and native residents stated.
The boat capsized early Monday on the Niger River within the Pategi district of Kwara state, near neighbouring Niger, the state’s police spokesman Okasanmi Ajayi stated.
“So far we have 103 people dead and over 100 rescued from the boat accident,” Mr Ajayi stated. “Search and rescue is still ongoing which means the toll is likely to rise.”
The victims, together with girls and youngsters, had been getting back from a marriage within the village of Egboti in Niger state, stated resident Usman Ibrahim.
“People in the boat were to take their bikes to their various communities [upon disembarking]. The boat was carrying more than 100 people when it sank,” stated Ibrahim.
Many of the victims drowned as a result of the accident occurred at about 3am [02:00 GMT] and never many knew of it till hours later, he stated.
“Up till now, some dead bodies are still being searched [for].”
Local day by day Nigerian Tribune reported that the passengers had been from Kpada, Egbu and Gakpan villages in Kwara.
“What we hear from various sources in that area is that at least 64 people came from one village and about 40 from another village,” stated Al Jazeera’s Ahmed Idris, reporting from the capital, Abuja.
He added that funerals had already been held “for at least 60 people who were killed in the accident”.
“What we know so far is that most of the passengers were not wearing any protective gear like life vests,” Idris stated, including that rescue operations had been beneath method.