Published on: Aug 18, 2025 02:30 pm IST
Only 10 have been rescued, as search operations continue. This highlights ongoing issues with boat safety in the region, particularly during the rainy season.
At least 40 people are missing after a boat capsized Sunday on a river in northwestern Nigeria, authorities said.
The accident happened around the Goronyo area in Sokoto state while the boat was transporting passengers to a market, Nigeria’s National Emergency Management Agency said in a statement late Sunday.
The emergency agency said only 10 people have been rescued as teams continue search and rescue efforts in the area.
The accident is the latest in a series of deadly boat mishaps on Nigerian waterways. Such accidents are common in remote communities during the rainy season, often caused by overloaded and poorly maintained vessels.
Last month, a boat transporting passengers to a market in north-central Nigeria capsized, killing at least 25 people.
At least 326 people died in boat accidents in Nigeria in 2024, according to a count by TheCable, a local media outlet.
Analysts say many boats operate without life jackets, blaming weak enforcement by regulatory authorities.
