At least 54 people have died after a boat capsised on an ‘increasingly dangerous’ section of the River Niger.
Dozens of bodies have been pulled out of the river in the Kogi state in northern Nigeria after a boat carrying 200 people sank.
The incident happened in the early hours of Friday when the boat was reportedly travelling from central Nigeria to a weekly market in the neighbouring Niger state.
Of those on board, 24 people were rescued and some were taken to hospital, BBC News reports.
But divers are still scouring the murky waters but time is running out for any survivors. Authorities said that no survivors were found around 12 hours after the incident.
The boat was reportedly carrying mostly women from Kogi state along with traders and artisans.
Usman Ododo, the governor of Kogi state, said in a statement that the waterway linking Kogi and Niger states is becoming ‘increasingly dangerous,’ local broadcaster TVC News reports.
The cause of the incident has not been confirmed yet.
Local media claimed the vessel could have been overloaded which is said to be common in remote parts of Africa’s most populous country.
It has been suggested that many passengers may not have been wearing life jackets as required.
Justin Uwazuruonye, who is in charge of Nigeria’s National Emergency Management Agency operations in the state, said the rescuers struggled to find the location of the sinking for hours after the incident on Friday.
Nigeria has seen a string of boat tragedies on its rivers, most of which are caused by overcrowding and lack of maintenance of boats, according to the AP news agency. Enforcing life jackets on boats has also ran into trouble due to lack of availability and cost.
In June last year, more than 100 people were killed in a boat tragedy after a vessel was overwhelmed by waves on the River Niger as it returned from an overnight wedding ceremony.
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