Boat Capsizes: Associated Press reports that at least 103 people have drowned after a boat capsized in northern Nigeria. There were 300 people on board when this incident happened.
Many of the dead included children, according to eyewitnesses.
Police and rescue officials said that the overcrowded boat hit a log under the water and broke into two. Most of the passengers were returning from a wedding.
The tragedy happened early Monday on the Niger River in the Pategi district. However, rescuers and the Police came to know of this accident only on Tuesday. Pategi falls in the Kwara district of Nigeria.
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Still searching for people
Police spokesman Okasanmi Ajayi told reporters they were still searching for scores of people missing after the accident. So far, 100 people have been rescued.
Abdul GanaLukpada, a local resident said that most of the dead were residents of nearby villages who had come to the wedding on motorcycles.
Since the roads were flooded because of rain, these people decided to take the boat to reach their homes.
Another resident, Usman Ibrahim said the wedding was held in the Egboti village of Niger state. Since the tragedy occurred at 3 a.m., rescue operations could be mounted several hours later.
Lukpada said 50 people could be saved initially and the current rescue efforts are very slow.
Deadliest boat accident
The Niger River boat tragedy is the deadliest incident of drowning so far, according to Lukpada.
Such incidents are common in rural areas where villagers use poorly made boats to cross swollen rivers. In many such tragedies, the boats are overcrowded.
Meanwhile, Governor Abdulrahman Abdurrazaqsaid his team will continue looking for survivors. He also expressed sadness for the families of those killed.
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