Dozens feared dead travelling to celebrate Mawlid

Dozens of people are feared dead after a boat capsized in north-central Nigeria.

The boat was ferrying more than 300 passengers on the River Niger when it overturned on Tuesday night, said Niger State Emergency Management Agency (NSEMA) head Abdullahi Baba Arah.

Around 60 dead bodies have been recovered from the scene, local council chairman Abdullahi Muregi was quoted as saying by Nigerian media.

Mr Arah’s statement said 150 people had been rescued alive so far and that most of the boat’s passengers were women and children on their way to celebrate the Muslim festival of Mawlid.

Mr Arah praised the “prompt response” from community volunteers, who have been attempting to rescue the passengers with “brave” local divers.

The boat had been travelling from a community called Mundi.

Many of the passengers were headed to the village of Gbajibo to mark Mawlid – a celebration of the Prophet Muhammad’s birth.

Mr Arah’s statement did not say what had caused the boat to capsize.

However incidents of boats overturning on the River Niger, the third-longest river in Africa, are common, especially during the rainy season when water levels are high.

Some of the boats on the river are rickety and overloaded with passengers. Debris, such as tree branches, on the water can also cause challenges for the boats.

In September last year, at least 24 people died when a boat overturned in the same area. The vessel was ferrying over 50 passengers, who were on their way to farm for harvest.