In northwestern Nigeria, a boat with about 200 people on board capsized. According to one survivor, about 40 people have been rescued and many others are unlikely to be recovered alive.
The boat capsized at the village of Wara, which lies on the shore of Lake Kainji. According to one survivor, mainly women and children were on board, who were en route from neighboring Niger to the state of Kebbi, in the northwest of the country. “Bodies are still being recovered. How many there are, we cannot say yet,” said a spokesman for the governor of Kebbi.
Local authorities tell AFP news agency that there were far too many people on board. There would have been room for a maximum of 80 people. Furthermore, the deck would have been full of sandbags from a nearby gold mine.
Gouddelvers
A resident of Wara also says that there were many more people on board than allowed. “My brother is among the missing. This is the most serious accident that has ever happened here.” Most of the crew would be gold miners and food vendors.
Boat accidents occur with some regularity on the Niger River, where Lake Kainji is located. Usually the cause is that there are too many people on board, but collisions with floating tree trunks often lead to accidents.
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