Nigeria: At least 29 dies in boat accident

AFP

Published: December 2, 2021, 01:10 AM

Nigeria: At least 29 dies in boat accident

An overloaded boat carrying dozens of passengers, mostly children aged eight to 15, capsized on Tuesday (November 30) in northwest Nigeria's Kano state, a rescue agency spokesman said. 

"We have recovered 29 bodies... and rescued seven passengers. The search for the remaining 13 bodies is ongoing," Saminu Abdullahi, spokesman for Kano state's fire service, told AFP on Wednesday.

Abdullahi said the boat was "meant to ferry 12 adults but the skipper packed such a number of children onboard."

Boat accidents are common on Nigerian waterways mostly due to overcrowding, bad weather and lack of maintenance.

The children, from Badau village in Kano state, were on their way to Bagwai, a town on the other side of the river, for a religious ceremony.

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