At Least 40 Children Killed as Boat Capsizes in Nigeria

Bodies of victims of a boat accident lie in the forecourt of a community mosque ahead of their burial in Gorau, Sokoto State, Nigeria, 20 August.

At least 50 bodies, including around 40 children, have been recovered after an overloaded boat capsized in Nigeria's northwestern Sokoto state, officials and residents said Thursday.

The accident occurred near Gorau in the Goronyo local government area. Rescue operations were still underway, according to Abdulkadir Yusuf, an area manager at the National Inland Waterways Authority.

Yusuf said about 40 children's bodies had been recovered. Nasiru Adamu, a lawmaker representing the area in the Sokoto state legislature, put the death toll at 43, saying 16 people had been rescued.

Residents gave different accounts of the number of passengers on board. One said the boat was carrying farm owners and workers hired to harvest rice and had more than 70 people aboard, while another estimated the number at 57.

Mustapha Umar, director of relief and rehabilitation at the state's emergency management agency, said officials were travelling to the site and would provide further details.

Boat accidents are frequent in Nigeria, often linked to overcrowding, poor vessel maintenance and weak enforcement of safety regulations.

In January, at least 25 people died when a leaking boat capsized in Yobe state in northeastern Nigeria.