50 killed as overloaded boat capsizes in Nigeria

ABUJA:

At least 50 people, mostly children, died after an overloaded boat capsized on Thursday in Nigeria's northwest Sokoto state, witnesses said.

The accident took place near Gorau in Goronyo local government area and rescue efforts are continuing, said Abdulkadir Yusuf, an area manager at the National Inland Waterways Authority.

A Reuters witness saw 50 bodies, many wrapped in mats and traditional cloths, lying in the forecourt of a community mosque ahead of their burial in Gorau later on Thursday.

Deadly boat accidents are relatively common in Nigeria, where overcrowding, poor maintenance and weak enforcement of safety regulations often contribute to disasters on the country's rivers and waterways, particularly during the rainy season.