Ten bodies have been retrieved Wednesday after a boat carrying more than 100 women and children broke apart on a river before Samanaji village, Kebbi in northern Nigeria.
The boat which was transporting passengers returning from a farm on the River Niger, broke in half as it approached Samanaji.
The police spokesman for the state, DSP Nafiu Abubakar, confirmed the accident and promised to release details later.
Yahaya Bello Koko, the chairman of Besse/Koko district said it had been overloaded with passengers “beyond its capacity.”
“We have recovered 10 passengers with the help of local divers while searches for 10 others still missing” Koko added.
“The 10 missing are presumed to have drowned, considering the long hours they have spent in the river.”
Federal and state emergency officials could not be immediately reached for comment on the incident, however, more than 80 passengers were rescued.
Cases of boats accidentally overturning are common on Nigerian waterways due to frequent overloading, flooding and poor maintenance.
In May 2021 around 100 traders drowned when their boat ruptured because of overloading and sank in the same river, according to Kebbi state officials.