Dozens die after boat strikes submerged tree stump on River Niger in Nigeria
At least 32 killed and eight missing after overcrowded vessel capsized in Borgu area; authorities begin investigations and bolster patrols
At least 32 people have died after a boat carrying about 100 passengers struck a submerged tree stump and capsized on the River Niger in Nigeria's northern Niger state, officials said.
The vessel went down on Tuesday morning in the Borgu area while en route to a nearby village where passengers planned to pay their respects to the family of someone who had recently died, Abdullahi Baba Ara, the spokesman for the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) in the state, told BBC Hausa.
More than 50 people were rescued after the accident, NEMA said, and eight remained missing as search operations continued on Thursday. The passengers reportedly included women and children.
Officials said the boat was overloaded at the time of the accident. Mr. Ara said the state government had set up a team of "water marshals" to prevent boat operators from carrying too many passengers and to ensure people wear life jackets, but that the marshals may not have been on duty when the vessel departed. "Perhaps the water marshals were not on duty when this boat took off," he said, adding that investigations into the incident had begun.
A local district head told the Reuters news agency that he had been at the scene soon after the accident.
Search-and-rescue teams remained active along the river on Thursday, authorities said, as they worked to account for those still missing and recover any additional bodies.
River transport is a common means of travel in parts of Nigeria, and officials have long cited overloading and inadequate use of life jackets as persistent safety risks. The Niger River is one of the country's major waterways and is used for both local transport and commerce in communities along its banks.
NEMA's deployment of water marshals aims to strengthen oversight of inland waterways, including enforcing passenger limits and safety equipment requirements. The agency said it would continue to coordinate with local authorities in Borgu and other state agencies during the search and the subsequent investigation.
Authorities have not yet released a full passenger manifest, and efforts to identify the victims and notify relatives were under way. The precise number of people aboard the boat is under review as investigators seek to reconcile survivor accounts with rescue records.
State officials said they would provide updates as the search continues and as findings from the investigation become available.