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At least 51 people died on Thursday after a boat capsized in northwest Nigeria’s Sokoto state, according to a resident, as authorities continue ongoing rescue operations.
Ibrahim Musa, a former local councillor in the Goronyo district where the disaster occurred, stated that community members have already buried 46 victims.
Emergency workers recently recovered five additional bodies from the river, and search teams remain on site.
Abdulkadir Yusuf, an area manager for the National Inland Waterways Authority, confirmed the body count to Reuters as rescue operations continued.
The accident occurred while passengers travelled to local fields to plant and harvest rice, according to traditional leader Sarkin Daji.
Resident Nasiru Gorau reported that community divers retrieved the children’s bodies from the water and are continuing to search for missing passengers.
Unsafe operating practices and overcrowded vessels frequently cause deadly maritime accidents across Nigeria.
The tragic sinking in Sokoto follows a similar disaster in January, when a leaking boat capsized in northeast Yobe State and killed at least 25 people.
