A boat carrying 100 people capsized in Niger River in the state of Kwara, western Nigeria on Monday dawn, local authorities have confirmed.
The victims, including women and children, were returning home after attending a wedding in the neighbouring Niger State, when the accident occurred at Egbu village, police said.
The Nigerian government is yet to confirm the number of those killed in the boat accident.
Kwara State Governor Abdulrahman Abdulrazaq said in a statement on Tuesday that he was saddened by the incident involving his constituents “from Ebu, Dzakan, Kpada, Kuchalu and Sampi areas in Patigi municipality”.
Through his press secretary, Rafiu Ajakaye, the governor said he would continue to monitor the rescue efforts in search of possible survivors.
“The governor sends his heartfelt condolences to the people of these communities and those from other states. He prays to Almighty Allah to repose the souls of the victims,” said Ajakaye.
It wasn’t immediately clear what caused the boat to capsize, though Nigeria’s Vanguard newspaper reports that there were heavy currents in the river when the accident occurred.
