At least 60 people were killed after a boat carrying mostly women and children returning from a religious festival in Nigeria’s northern Niger state capsized, a local official said late on Wednesday (October 3, 2024).

About 160 people have now been rescued after the wooden boat ferrying nearly 300 passengers sank on Tuesday night on the River Niger around the Gbajibo Community, said Jibril Abdullahi Muregi, chairman of the Mokwa local government area.

More details are awaited.

At least 64 people were feared dead following a boat accident on a river in Zamfara State in northwest Nigeria, local officials said on Saturday (September 14, 2024).

A wooden boat carrying 70 farmers capsized as it was transporting them across the river to reach their farmlands close to Gummi town on Saturday morning. Local authorities swiftly mobilised residents for a rescue operation, and after three hours, six survivors were pulled from the water.

“This is the second time such an incident has occurred in the Gummi Local Government Area,” said Aminu Nuhu Falale, a local administrator who led the rescue efforts.

He added that emergency teams were intensifying their search in the hope of finding more survivors.

More than 900 farmers rely on crossing the river daily to access their farmlands, but only two boats are available, often leading to overcrowding, said the local traditional ruler.

Zamfara State, already plagued by criminal gangs seeking control of mineral resources, has also been severely affected by flooding caused by heavy rains. Two weeks ago, floods displaced more than 10,000 residents, local officials said.