At least 32 people have died in Nigeria's northern Niger state after a boat sank in a river, an official has informed the BBC.
The boat was reportedly overloaded, carrying about 100 passengers including women and children, and capsized when it struck a submerged tree stump in 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 passed away.
According to Abdullahi Baba Ara, the spokesman of the National Emergency Management Agency (Nema) in the state, over 50 survivors have been rescued, while eight individuals are still unaccounted for.
Search operations have resumed as authorities are working to recover the missing individuals. Ara acknowledged the government's efforts to improve safety by forming a team of water marshals to deter overcrowding and ensure the use of life jackets among passengers.
He mentioned, Perhaps the water marshals were not on duty when this boat took off, indicating the need for better enforcement of safety measures.
Witnesses described the scene shortly after the accident, stating they managed to recover 31 bodies from the river. The boat itself was also salvaged from the waters.
Boat accidents are not uncommon in Nigeria, often caused by overloading, poor regulations, and inadequate safety measures. In a similar incident last month, 25 people went missing in Sokoto State.
In December, 54 bodies were found after a boat, believed to be carrying over 200 people, sank in the River Niger.
The Nigerian government has mandated life jacket use for water travelers, but enforcement remains a challenge. Initiatives like the recent distribution of 42,000 life jackets across riverine states have been introduced, yet incidents persist.
Niger State, Nigeria's largest in land mass, relies heavily on boat transportation as a cost-effective means of travel.
