Nigeria boat accident: 4 dead, 20 rescued, 156 declared 'missing'

• Officials have confirmed that four people died, 20 were rescued and 156 believed to be underwater

• The immediate cause of the accident is said to be overloading

• Rescue efforts are still underway

Four deaths, 20 rescues and over 150 persons declared missing from a boat mishap that happened on May 26 in northwest Nigeria.

The incident happened after an overloaded boat ferrying around passengers and other materials sank in the Niger River, a local official said.

“The boat is carrying 180 passengers with 30 Bajaj motorcycles. The victims were going to a market in Malele in Borgu local government area of Niger state from Kebbi and the incident happened just one hour into their trip.

“We are still rescuing the victims; the mishap occurred as a result of overloading. The boat capacity is not up 180 passengers it carried, as we speak, only 20 people have been rescued alive, four dead confirmed while the remaining 156 people are still missing and they are believed to be underwater,” Yusif Birwa, head of the National Inland Waterways Authority (NIWA) told reporters.

The boat left central Niger state and was heading to northwest Kebbi state when it split and sank, Abdullahi Buhari Wara, administrative head of Ngaski district said.

Boat capsizes are common on Nigerian waterways mostly due to overcrowding and lack of maintenance, particularly in the annual rainy season.

Wara blamed the Kebbi accident on overloading as the boat was meant to ferry not more than 80 passengers. The vessel he added was loaded with bags of sand from a gold mine.

Early this month 30 people drowned when an overloaded boat capsized in central Niger state.