40 Missing After Boat Capsizes in Sokoto, Nigeria

Abuja, Aug 18 (AP) At least 40 individuals are reported missing following the capsizing of a boat on Sunday in northwestern Nigeria, according to local authorities.

The incident occurred near the Goronyo area in Sokoto state as the boat was en route to a market, Nigeria's National Emergency Management Agency disclosed in a statement released late Sunday.

The emergency agency confirmed that only 10 people have been rescued thus far, as search and rescue operations continue in the vicinity.

This tragedy marks the latest in a series of fatal boat incidents on Nigeria's waterways. Such mishaps are frequent in isolated areas during the rainy season, often attributed to overloaded and poorly maintained boats.

Just last month, a similar incident occurred when a boat headed to a market in north-central Nigeria capsized, resulting in at least 25 fatalities.

Data from TheCable, a local media source, indicates that a total of 326 lives were lost in boat accidents across Nigeria in 2024.

Experts attribute the high number of casualties to the lack of life jackets on many boats, pointing to inadequate enforcement of regulations by authorities.

(Only the headline of this report may have been reworked by Editorji; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)