At least 50 dead after boat capsizes in northwest Nigeria

Gorau, Nigeria. At least 50 people, mostly children, died after an overloaded boat capsized on Thursday near Gorau in northwestern Sokoto state, witnesses said. Rescue efforts were continuing.

Rescue operation

The accident occurred in the Goronyo local government area, according to Abdulkadir Yusuf, an area manager at the National Inland Waterways Authority.

A Reuters witness saw 50 bodies, many wrapped in mats and traditional cloths, in the forecourt of a community mosque before their burial in Gorau later on Thursday.

Yusuf said the bodies of around 40 children had been recovered.

Passengers and casualties

A local resident said the boat was carrying farm owners and labourers hired to harvest rice, with more than 70 people onboard when it capsized. Another resident said there had been 57 people on board.

Nasiru Adamu, a Sokoto state lawmaker representing the area, said most passengers were aged between 10 and 15 and that 16 people had been rescued.

“We have buried 46 people, and even more dead bodies have just been brought. The death toll is 53,” eyewitness Sharhabilu Kiliya said.

Mustapha Umar, director of relief and rehabilitation at the state emergency management agency, said officials were travelling to the scene and would provide further information later.

Boat safety concerns

Deadly boat accidents are relatively common in Nigeria, where overcrowding, poor maintenance and weak enforcement of safety regulations contribute to disasters on rivers and waterways, particularly during the rainy season.

In January, at least 25 people died when a leaking boat capsized in Yobe state in northeastern Nigeria.