27 die in Nigeria boat accident

At least 27 people died when a boat capsized on the Niger River in central Nigeria, the local emergency management agency said on Friday.

The final death toll from the accident late on Thursday would be known once a search and rescue operation ended, said Sandra Musa, spokesperson for Kogi State Emergency Management Agency.

"So far, 27 bodies have been recovered, but (the) rescue operation is still ongoing," Musa told Reuters.

The boat was carrying mostly traders from Missa community in central Kogi state heading to a weekly market in neighbouring Niger state, a National Inland Waterways Authority spokesperson said.