Nigeria boat sinking kills over 100

More than 100 people have drowned in north-central Nigeria after a boat carrying families returning from a wedding sank in a river, police and local authorities said.The accident took place in Kwara State, it is the latest boat tragedy in Nigeria where river capsizes are common due to overloading, lax safety procedures and heavy flooding during the rainy season.

The boat was carrying people returning from a wedding in neighboring Niger state when it sank, local police and the Kwara governor's office said on Tuesday (June 13th), without giving a cause.

"So far, we have 103 dead and more than 100 survivors from the boat accident," Kwara state police spokesman Okasanmi Ajayi told AFP by phone.Search and rescue is still ongoing; the death toll is therefore likely to increase.The Kwara State Governor's Office said the victims were returning from a wedding ceremony in Patigi district of Kwara.

"The governor is sad to receive information about the boat accident involving several people, especially residents of Ebu, Dzakan, Kpada, Kuchalu and Sampi, all in Patigi," the statement said. “The Governor sends his sincere condolences to the residents of these communities. He has been monitoring rescue efforts that have been underway since Monday evening looking for any survivors,” he added.

“He commends the vigilance of (Traditional Leader) Etsu Patigi His Royal Highness Alhaji Ibrahim Umar Bologi II and other local government authorities for the efforts made to save as many people as possible who may have survived the accident. »

Shipwrecks on Nigeria's rivers and rivers are common. Last month, 15 children drowned and 25 others went missing after their overloaded boat capsized in northwestern Sokoto state while on their way to collect firewood.

Almost exactly a year earlier, 29 other children from a nearby village also drowned in the same river while on a trip to collect firewood for their families.During massive flooding during the rainy season last December, at least 76 people drowned when their boat sank in a flooded river in southeastern Anambra state.With poor road infrastructure a frequent problem and kidnapping for ransom a major problem along some highways, river transport is common in Nigeria.

The Niger River, or Djoliba in Mandinka, is West Africa's main waterway that runs through Guinea to the Niger Delta in Nigeria and is a key trade route for some countries.The National Inland Waterways Authority of Nigeria has tried to ban night navigation on the rivers to avoid accidents. Overloading vessels is a criminal offence, but captains and crews often ignore the regulations.