At least 46 people have died when a boat capsized on a river in Sokoto State, northwestern Nigeria, according to local residents and officials. The incident occurred in Goronyo Local Government Area, near the town of Gorau.
The boat is believed to have been carrying workers to farms in Gorau. Rescue operations continued on Thursday (4 September) as authorities have not yet released an official death toll.
A Reuters reporter at the scene saw 50 bodies, many wrapped in mats and traditional cloth, lying in the courtyard of a mosque in Gorau awaiting burial. Ibrahim Musa, a former local councilor, told AFP that dozens of victims had already been buried.
"The situation is very bad. We have buried 46 bodies, and five more have just been recovered from the river," Musa said.
A resident named Samaila Garba said his 13-year-old niece, Jamila Usman, was among the dead. "During the rainy season, most women and children go to the farms to work," he told AP.
Another resident, Aminu Dan Hajiya, said he regularly used the waterway to reach his farm and felt lucky not to be on the ill-fated boat. "Almost every family in the community has been affected," he told AP.
Dahir Kure, spokesperson for the National Emergency Management Agency in Sokoto State, confirmed to AFP that rescue teams were on site. "We are at the scene of the accident and have begun rescue operations," he said, adding that authorities were still gathering information and could not release a death toll immediately.
Boat accidents are frequent in Nigeria, with dozens of people killed each year on rivers and busy waterways. The main causes include overloading, poor maintenance, and failure to comply with safety regulations.
Previously, another boat capsizing in Jigawa State last month left at least five people drowned. In January, at least 26 people also died when a boat carrying farmers and fishermen from Jigawa to Yobe State capsized.
