Dozens die in after boat sinks in Nigeria’s Niger state

Dozens of people have died in Nigeria’s northern Niger state after a boat carrying about 100 people sank in a river.

The reportedly overloaded boat, carrying passengers including children, capsized when it struck a submerged tree stump near the Gausawa community in Borgu Local Government Area, officials said.

The state’s emergency agency said 29 people had died and more than 50 others were rescued, with search operations continuing. A local official told the Reuters news agency that the death toll had risen to 60.

The incident reportedly occurred around 11:30 on Tuesday morning on the Malale River, after the boat had departed from Tungan Sule in Malale district.

The district head told Reuters that he had been at the scene soon after the accident.

“I was at the scene yesterday around 12 pm until 4 pm. The boat carried more than 100 people. We were able to recover 31 corpses from the river. The boat was also recovered and removed,” Reuters quoted Sa’adu Inuwa Muhammad as saying.

Abdullahi Baba Ara, the head of Borgu area said the toll had “risen to 60. Ten people have been found in serious condition and many are still being sought,” Reuters reports.

Boat accidents are fairly common in Nigeria, often due to overloading, poor regulation and inadequate safety precautions.

Last month, about 25 people went missing after a boat accident in Sokoto state.

In December 2024, 54 bodies were recovered from the River Niger after a boat that may have been carrying more than 200 passengers capsized.