KADUNA, Nigeria — A boat transporting about 200 individuals capsized in the northwestern Nigerian state of Kebbi on Wednesday, though the variety of casualties stays uncertain, stated a spokesperson for the state’s guv.
Such events are not unusual in Nigeria, with performance history of straining and bad upkeep and security, though the variety of travelers in Wednesday’s boat sinking implies that lots of lives were feared lost.
“The boat was ferrying about 200 passengers” originating from the neighbouring nation of Niger, stated Yahaya Sarki, a media assistant for the guv of Kebbi.
“Their locally made wooden boat capsized mid-water,” he stated. “Bodies are still being recovered. We can’t ascertain the number for now.”
The boat capsized near Wara, Sarki stated, describing a town on the coasts of Kainji Lake, part of the Niger River.
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Many of the travelers were returning from a newly-discovered gold vein in Niger, stated Qasimu Umar Wara, a local of Wara town.
“They usually go there in the evenings and return to Wara in the morning,” he stated. “Most of them are petty traders, food vendors and the local miners.”
