At least 100 people missing after boat capsizes in northern Nigeria

ABUJA, Nigeria (AP) — At least 100 people, most of them women, are missing after a boat carrying them to a food market capsized along the Niger River in northern Nigeria, authorities said Friday.

The boat was ferrying passengers from Kogi state along the river to neighboring Niger when it capsized early Friday, Niger State Emergency Management spokesman Ibrahim Audu told The Associated Press.

At least eight people were confirmed dead at the scene and local divers were trying to rescue others, local television Channels reported, citing eyewitness accounts.

Authorities have not confirmed what caused the flooding. However, local media reported that the boat was carrying more than 200 passengers, suggesting it may have been overloaded. Overcrowding is common in remote parts of Nigeria, where the lack of good roads leaves many people with no alternative routes.

According to Justin Uwazuruoni, who is in charge of the operations of the National Emergency Management Agency of Nigeria in the state, officials in Kogi have not yet established the exact location of the incident and were seeking assistance from other agencies.

Such deadly incidents are a growing concern in Nigeria, Africa’s most populous country, as authorities struggle to enforce safety measures and regulations on water transport.

Most accidents attributed to the overcrowding and lack of maintenance of the boats, which were often built on site to accommodate as many passengers as possible in defiance of safety measures.

Authorities are unable to enforce the use of life jackets on such trips, often due to their unavailability or cost.