[ad_1]
Kaduna, Nigeria — A boat that capsized about 200 people in Kebbi, northwestern Nigeria, capsized on Wednesday, but the number of casualties remains unknown, a state spokesman said.
Kebbi Governor spokesman Yahaya Sarki said a wooden boat capsized near Wara, a town on the shores of Lake Kainji, which is part of the Niger River.
There were about 200 passengers from neighboring Niger, Nigeria.
“The body is still recovering. We can’t see the numbers so far,” Sarki said.
One survivor, Buhari Aboubakr, said that about 40 people had been rescued so far, but many of the other passengers, mainly women and children, are still missing.
Kasim Umar Wara, a resident of Straw, said five bodies had been recovered as of Wednesday evening, but locals expect more to be washed away in the next few days.
“The boat was overloaded,” he said. “My brother is one of the missing people. This is the worst boat accident in the ocean.”
Many of the passengers have returned from the newly discovered gold vein in Niger, according to Walla.
“They usually go there in the evening and return to straw in the morning,” he said. “Most of them are trivial merchants, grocery stores, and local miners.”
Galva Muhammad
[ad_2]