More than 20 people have lost their lives after a wooden boat carrying 138 passengers capsized on Tuesday along the Shagunu–Dunga axis of Kainji Lake in Nigeria’s Niger State.
The accident, which occurred around 11:49 a.m., saw rescue teams from the National Inland Waterways Authority (NIWA) arrive at about 1:33 p.m.
A total of 46 men, 58 women, and several children were rescued with the aid of life jackets, while 27 bodies have been recovered so far.
The submerged vessel has since been removed, and search efforts remain ongoing with support from NIWA River Marshalls, the Nigerian Shipowners Forum on Waterways, security agencies, and local community leaders.
The incident adds to a worrying spate of boat mishaps across Nigeria in recent months.
In August, more than 40 people went missing when a boat heading to a market capsized in Sokoto, while another accident that same month claimed the lives of at least 16 farmers in the state.
Earlier, on July 29, six girls drowned in Jigawa after a boat taking them home from farm work overturned, just two days after 13 people died in a separate mishap in central Niger State.
Authorities and community leaders have pledged stronger collaboration to improve water safety and prevent further tragedies.
