Dozens dead after boat capsizes in northwestern Nigeria

Dozens of individuals have died when a boat capsized on a river in northwest Nigeria, according to office-holders and residents in Sokoto state.

Key points

• Resident Samaila Garba remarked his 13-year-old granddaughter, Jamila Usman, was among the dead.
• Dahir Kure, spokesman for the National Emergency Management Agency in the state, informed AFP that rescue operations were underway.
• In January, at least 26 individuals drowned when a boat carrying farmers and fishermen from Jigawa to Yobe state additionally capsized.
• Another resident, Aminu Dan Hajiya, remarked he goes to his farm using the same waterway and considers himself lucky not to have been on the boat.
• "You know, during the rainy season, most women and children go to the farm to work, " he informed the Associated Press.

Meanwhile, the boat may have been carrying workers heading to farms in Gorau town. Rescue efforts are continuing on Thursday near Gorau in the Goronyo local administration area.

Authorities did not provide an official death toll, but a Reuters ⁠⁠news agency witness saw 50 bodies – plenty of wrapped in mats and traditional cloth – lying in the forecourt of a mosque in Gorau ahead of their burial.

For context, a former councillor in Gorau informed the AFP news agency that dozens had already been buried.

"The situation is bad, " Ibrahim Musa informed AFP. "We already buried 46 bodies and five others have just been brought out of the river."

"In fact, almost every household in the community has been affected, " he informed the Associated Press.

"We are now at the scene of the boat accident and have begun rescue work."

Kure remarked authorities were still "collecting necessary information on the incident" and could not immediately provide a death toll.

Boating accidents are common with dozens drowning each year on Nigeria's busy rivers and waterways, often caused by overloading, poor maintenance or failure to comply with safety regulations.

Another boat capsized in Jigawa state last month where at least five individuals drowned.

Taken together, the developments around dozens dead after boat capsizes in northwestern Nigeria point to a situation that is still moving, and the coming days should bring more clarity.