More than 150 feared drowned in Nigeria boat tragedy
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KANO, Nigeria, May 27, 2021 (BSS/AFP) – More than 150 people were feared drowned in northwest Nigeria on Wednesday after an overloaded boat ferrying passengers to a market sank in the Niger River, local officials said.
The boat was travelling between central Niger state and Wara in northwest Kebbi state when it sank, National Inland Waterways Authority local manager Yusuf Birma told reporters.
“The boat capacity was not up to the 180 passengers it carried,” Birma said.
“As we speak, only 20 people have been rescued alive, four dead confirmed while the remaining 156 people are still missing and they are believed to be underwater.”
Dozens of people were missing in northwest Nigeria on Wednesday after an overloaded boat ferrying around 160 passengers sank in the Niger River, a local officia
At least four victims have been confirmed dead, but rescuers fear more than 150 people could have drowned. A local official said the boat was carrying at least twice as many people as permitted.