ABUJA, Nigeria (AP) — At least 100 passengers, most of them women, were missing after a boat transporting them to a food market capsized along the River Niger in northern Nigeria, authorities said Friday.
The boat was taking the passengers from Kogi state along the river to neighboring Niger early Friday morning when it capsized, Niger State Emergency Management Agency spokesman Ibrahim Audu told The Associated Press.
At least eight people were confirmed dead at the scene while local divers were trying to rescue others, the local Channels Television reported, citing eyewitness accounts.
Authorities have not confirmed what caused the sinking. However, local media reported that the boat was carrying more than 200 passengers, suggesting it might have been overloaded. Overcrowding in vehicles is common in remote parts of Nigeria where the lack of good roads leaves many with no alternative routes.
Chinedu Asadu, The Associated Press